Love and Revenge: Forgotten Fires
by jrichville
Summary: She had woken up stripped from everything she'd known, even from her own identity. Who was she? And who was the scarred faced stranger determined to keep her by his side? What did he want with her and for that matter, what did she want with him? Now, unless she recovered her memories, danger would be lurking by the corner, waiting for the chance to strike at those she held dear PxT
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the cartoon, Pucca, only the plot. I write for my amusement, not for profit.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 1**

_Everything around her was a blur. But she could see a girl from a distance. Her black hair was braded into a long rope over her shoulder and a flower was tucked behind one ear. She was pretty. Their eyes met and the girl smiled at her. She could feel her own face smiing in return and she ambled towards the girl._

_A shadowed entity appeared beside the girl. It seemed insubstantial and formless._

_The girl's smiling face contorted to one of fear. She was frozen as the shadow slowly crept up her body._

"_Don't touch her!" She realized it was her own voice._

_The dark creature turned to her and all she could see were its dark eyes. What she saw there made her shiver in fear. They were cold, cruel and filled with pure molten hatred._

_Suddenly, more shadows came from no where and headed towards her with inhuman speed. She had no idea what was happening. She couldn't move as they engulfed her."Let me go!" Pain erupted on every part of her body then all she could see was darkness._

"_NO!" She heard an anguished scream._

She jerked and was instantly awake. Her breathing was ragged as her heart hammered inside her chest. She laid still as she waited for her heartbeat to even out.

Her head throbbed in pain. The girl groaned hoarsely. Her throat felt tight and dry as if she hadn't used it in a while.

"Where am I?" she rasped out, but there was only silence. She was alone.

Her dazed eyes scanned the unfamiliar place. It was dark and save for the simple bunk bed she was lying on, the room was completely empty. There were no windows and the only light there was streaming through the gaps on the edges of the closed door. The shadows ghosting on the brick walls seemed to close on her. She couldn't help but be scared again even as the remnants of her dream began to fade.

She tried to rub the sleep from her eyes but found that she couldn't. Her hands were stretched above her head and were bound to the metal bars on the bed. Her feet were extended widely as they were tied with a thick rope to the metal bars on the bottom corners of the bed.

She pulled on her ropes and tried to loosen them but the rope was too tight. She tried again and again, vainly twisting her hands and feet free. Several minutes later, her skin was rubbed raw and bleeding.

"Argh!" She cried from the pain and frustration. With herself spread eagle on the bed, she was vulnerable. She needed to get out. She _had_ to get out.

She tried to recover her scattered wits and remember how she got into this situation but there was none. _What happened?_ She tried to remember… but her mind came up with a blank. Her head throbbed as she tried to remember _anything._

Panic was welling in her chest. In spite of her wounds, she pulled on her ropes, the metal bars only rattled noisily.

The door creaked open and she saw a large foreboding shadow hovering by the door. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd wake up." The deep voice resonated in the still room touching something inside her. _Familiarity._ She clung to it like a lifeline.

"Who are you?" Despite her inner turmoil, her voice came out strong and challenging. "Show yourself."

There was a rumbling of laughter but he made no effort to comply. "So bossy. Someday, that tongue's going to be your undoing."

Weariness and bewilderment clawed at her. "Why am I tied up?" Her eyes were spitting fire at him.

"_Obviously_, that's what happens when you break into my property" he answered scathingly.

_She did that?_ She closed her eyes trying to jog her memory. Nothing.

She felt movement beside her. When she opened her eyes, they connected with his boots which were striding determinedly towards her. Light chased away the shadows as her eyes drew up his long legs covered by dark blue trousers. A white shirt and dark blue jacket hung on his tall, muscular frame. But when her eyes reached his face, she gasped at what the light had illuminated for her. He had a white X scar that marred his otherwise handsome, chiseled face. Even just looking at his hardened features, she knew he was a dangerous adversary.

"Just what were you planning when you _invited_ yourself here?" He was standing at the foot of her bed sneering as he stared down at her.

"I don't remember." She croaked.

"Don't lie to me! Tell me how you found this place!" He thundered furiously. His angry display scared her and made her very aware that she was held immobile. But his eyes, cold and cruel, spoke to her in a deeper level. _She knew this man._

_Who are you?_ She didn't know that she'd spoken her question aloud until she saw the shock that was evident in his wide eyes and rigid posture. "I- I think I know you from somewhere. Who are you?"

For a moment, he looked as if he was going to yell at her again. Then gradually, she saw his anger fading as he stared at her silently. Something in the way he looked at her made her more uneasy.

"What makes you think you know me?" He asked her slowly, carefully.

"I don't know." She answered lamely.

" Who are you?" He sneered at her.

She shook her head weakly.

He was strode towards her before sitting on the bed beside her. His eyes were narrowed in assessment. "What do you remember?" He asked suspiciously.

She struggled with herself whether or not she should tell him. But in the end, she knew that she had no choice. "Nothing." The word echoed inside her. There was nothing. _She_ was nothing but an empty shell.

"You're lying. Garu put you up to this, didn't he?" He snarled.

"I don't know who I am, okay! Let alone someone named _Garu! _" Tears burned the back of her eyes but she controlled them. She'd be damned before this man saw her crying.

The man before her just stared at her in silence. "If what you're saying is true, maybe, I can afford to untie you, after all." He was mumbling as if he was talking to himself more than to her. Nevertheless, she let out a sigh of relief.

Her breath was caught in her throat when the man suddenly placed his hands on either side of her body and leaned closer to her face. Her blood ran cold at his closeness even when she could feel his heat radiating off his body. _No, this is not happening._

She opened her mouth to scream but he roughly covered it with a hand. She thrashed her head about before angling her head to avoid his unnerving eyes. This left the delicate skin on her neck exposed.

He nuzzled her neck before whispering cruelly in her ear, "Just because you've forgotten your scheming and trespassing, doesn't mean _I've_ forgotten it too. I'm going to untie you but you'll still be my prisoner. You don't know who I am and what I'm capable of. Just know that you can't escape me. And if you even try, I'll put you back in this room and tie you to this bed. If you know what's good for you, you will do exactly what I tell you to do. I'm going to untie you now and you're not going to do anything stupid are you?"

She shivered at the look in his eyes and quietly nodded.

He pushed himself from the bed and started with her feet then her arms, bruised and lacerated with her struggles with the ropes. When she was loose, she suddenly kicked him in the gut then pushed him aside.

She ran for the door. When she reached it, her cold and numbed fingers fumbled with the door knob. "God, help me. _Please_."

She heard the man curse somewhere behind her. In a second, a hand grabbed her and her back slammed against a solid body. Steely arms surrounded her, pinning her arms on either side of her.

She hissed and struggled against him.

"_Dammit!_ Stay still!" He forcefully held her down against the wooden door. If she didn't get splinters, she was sure she'd have a bruise on one side of her face.

"Let me go you bastard!" She hissed. She tried to kick him but in a split second, she was lying on the floor. His hands pinned hers above her head and his knees pinned the lower half of her body.

"Now, tell me. How is this _not_ stupid?" He smirked seemingly amused by her efforts to escape. But she wasn't fooled. There was too much heat in his eyes. Behind his nonchalant demeanor, he was livid because she mislead him. _Almost…_

"I don't trust you!" She hissed her chest heaving with every breath she took. "_Staying_ with you would be the stupid thing to do. And I'd be damned if I let you order me around like some slave!" Her tirade over, her chest rose and fell as she took in ragged breaths.

The shadows in his eyes held her captive and his whispered words held her speechless. " You're injured, you don't know who you are, you have no belongings and you have nowhere else to stay. We're in the middle of the forest. It would take you days to even get to the nearest village And even if you managed to survive the journey, you'll still be helpless."

She swallowed. Tears clogged her throat. _Was he right?_

"Like it or not, you'll be staying with me. And until you can regain your memory and give me answers, you're not leaving." He let her go and sat up.

Her head still throbbed and there was too much to absorb. Her apparent amnesia, her trespassing into private territory and this enigmatic man…

"I'm going to overlook this pathetic attempt to flee. Don't count yourself lucky next time."

He stood up and she scrambled on her feet. She felt dizzy and swayed unsteadily. Surprisingly, he caught her. Her mind was too tired to come up with a reason why he didn't just let her fall instead of acting all decent. She must've wasted the last of her energy trying to fight him. When she tried to massage her temples, she winced in pain. She looked at her fingers, they were dusty and bloody from a deep gash on her head.

She realized she was still leaning on him for support and he had a steadying grip on her shoulders. Disgusted with herself, she pushed herself from him only to sway again.

"For God's sake!" He exclaimed before he curved an arm each under her shoulders and knees, respectively, and straightened, her limp body folding up and curling against his chest. She closed her eyes and yawned her breath hot and slick against his neck.

Before she knew it, she was being laid against a soft mattress. She knew she was on a different bed since the previous one wasn't as comfortable as the one she was laying on now.

She felt herself being tucked under the covers. She let him. She was too weak to do anything about it anyway. "I've already sent someone to deal with your injuries. Maybe the sooner you're well, the sooner you'll get your memories back. " A second later, she heard his footsteps become fainter and fainter.

She cracked open an eyelid and saw him moving towards the door. "Wait." She said feebly.

He paused but he didn't turn around. He didn't say anything as he waited for her to continue.

"Who am I?" She needed to know before she could let herself drift into the dark abyss of sleep.

He didn't answer for a minute. "I don't know. We don't know each other. I've never met you before this."

She was not going to cry out her frustration.

"And… who are you?"

He turned and walked out the door but before he closed it, he turned to her and said, "Just call me Tobe." then the door closed with a click.

0o0o0o

**Author's notes: This story would be darker than my usual writings. So rating may change as the story progresses. That is, if you guys think this one's worth pursuing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Her mind was teasing her of a man she could almost remember._

_But she could remember the feel of his lips. Soft yet resistant against hers. The feel of his heart. Thudding a familiar rhythm against her chest and her own heart stirring a hunger that spread throughout her body._

_She didn't know why she felt such aching, such yearning, for a touch. For a kiss._

_He had his back to her. "Wait!" she called out when he began walking away._

_He wouldn't listen. He kept walking._

_She wanted to go to him but she couldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the ground. A moment passed and soon he was gone._

The girl opened her eyes.

She woke up with a dull ache in her chest. She felt like crying although she didn't know how a dream could affect her so much.

_Was it just a dream though?_

Her eyes roamed the room. It was dark but she could see the room was decorated a striking Romanesque. The four-poster bed she was currently occupying, dominated the rather spacious area. There was a large, ornately decorated armoire and a vanity table flanking each other a few feet from the bed. On the opposite side, she saw a door which, she guessed, would lead to the bathroom.

She reached up wanting to rub the sleep from her eyes. She stopped when she realized her wounded wrists were bandaged. She looked down at her feet peaking from the blanket and saw both were also bandaged. She touched her forehead and, true enough, her head was wrapped in a dressing.

"I think I need some fresh air," she sat up _slowly_ not wanting another dizzy spell.

She flung her blanket aside, slid from the bed then padded towards a large curtained window.

She pulled the heavy drapes to the side. Moonlight spilled into the room and gave it an otherworldly ambiance.

It was then she realized she revealed not a window but a glass door leading to a terrace.

Even as she was still just opening the door, the only thing she saw beyond the balustrade were acres and acres of thick forest stretching towards the mountains.

With a sinking sensation, she realized that the arrogant, ill-tempered and utterly insane man- _what was his name? Oh, yes, Tobe-_ was right.

She couldn't just leave. Even if she were to steal some resources to survive on for a couple of days, and even managed to escape his clutches, she had absolutely no idea where to go. It was likely she'd just get lost and that could equal death in the forest. And if, by chance, she succeeded in reaching the nearest village, she didn't know how it could possibly turn out for her, _a girl with no money, no home, and no name._

Staying right where she was would be the most practical thing to do. Maybe she'd remember why she came here in the first place.

She gripped the concrete balustrade and dropped her chin to her chest dejectedly._I'm doomed to be with him. And he knows it._ She shivered from the chill the revelation brought her more than the cool night breeze.

"Quite a view isn't it?"

She whirled around and saw Tobe leaning against the doorjamb looking at her with an inscrutable expression. The moonlight cast shadows on the masculine angles of his scarred face.

"What do you want?" she questioned bravely hoping he wouldn't hear her heart hammering in her chest.

"I laid out some clean clothes for you on the bed. You're old ones are being laundered," he said coolly.

"My- my clothes?" She looked down at herself and realized she wasn't wearing the dirty red top and black slacks she wore when she had first woken up. To her horror, she was wearing only a sheer peach-colored negligee that fell only mid-thigh. "How _dare_ you? Get out of my room!"

He didn't move. His gaze was unwavering as it darkened with his rising temper. "Need I remind you that this is _my_ house? And you are in no position to order me around!"

"That doesn't mean I'll let you see me walking around half-naked!"she protested heatedly. A thought came to her, "Were you the one who-" she swallowed a lump in her throat, "-who removed my clothes and put me in this…_thing?"_

"What am I? Your _servant_?" his tone was acerbic. "But even if I did, It's not like I haven't seen it before" he added scornfully.

She felt a chill rode up her spine. "W-what are you saying?" she asked skeptically.

For one agonizing second he didn't speak. Something flashed in his eyes before he had masked it with a mocking look on his face. "I mean it's not like I'm a shrinking virgin. I know what the female body looks like."

"_Well_, since you've put it that way, I see no reason why you can't just stand there all night and stare at me!" her sarcastic tone dripped with venom.

To her annoyance, Tobe angled his head and did just that. She knew she must look pitiful with those bandages and injuries all over her body.

He took his time slowly sliding his gaze upwards making her squirm under his intense scrutiny. Unknown to her, the moon light passed through her filmy nightdress outlining her shapely figure. The neckline of the negligee was dipped so low, it revealed little to the imagination. The skin on her chest up to her cheeks was flushed pink from both her anger and embarrassment.

When their eyes met, she felt an electrifying shift in the atmosphere. A sort of current passed between them and she could only stand and stare at him in the moonlight, her eyes like luminous orbs.

The way his eyes slid up her body, it felt almost like a tangible thing. As if his heated eyes left flames licking all over her body. It took a conscious effort to keep her breathing even.

When he spoke again, his voice sounded soft and dangerous to her ears, "What I'm telling you is that _if_ I want to stand here all night and stare at you, _I will_. And you can't tell me otherwise."

Against her will, her traitorous body let a stirring of desire surge through her veins. To her alarm, she felt her nipples harden and jut against the thin fabric of her negligee. She crossed her arms over her chest hoping he wouldn't notice her predicament.

_What the hell was wrong with her?_

She stomped towards the door, hoping to get dressed with the clothes he brought. She just wished they were more… substantial than the one she was wearing now.

She almost reached the door when he suddenly extended an arm and leaned his hand on the other side of the doorframe, effectively blocking her way.

"Do you mind?" she hissed angrily.

In contrast to her angry tone, Tobe spoke in a deadpan manner, "Just one last thing, after you've dressed, come down for dinner. You'll be dining with me."

"And if you don't come down in half an hour, I'll come back and bring you down myself even if I have to _throw_ you over my shoulder." his voice now held a dangerous edge to it so she knew he wasn't just exaggerating.

Having said his piece, he turned around and walked away.

_Of all the dreadful, chauvinistic-_"You're a horrible vindictive, overbearing _asshole_!"

He paused and for a moment, she thought he would lash out at her. Instead, he uttered darkly, "Oh, Pucca, you have no idea..."

His statement was vague yet she had a feeling it was neck-deep in meaning he had no intention to enlighten to her. But one thing really caught her attention.

"Pucca?" She repeated, bewilderment gradually replacing her anger.

He seemed to stiffen. He had his back to her so she couldn't see his expression. But tension radiated off his body in waves.

He cleared his throat before speaking, "Yes. I thought it was time I gave you a name." He said harshly then proceeded to walk away.

"Wait!" she called out.

He ignored her and exited the room. He slammed the door behind him.

"_Argh_!" she sank back to bed in annoyance.

She leaned her elbows on her knees and caught her head with her hands in a defeated posture. She wondered miserably if every day was going to be like this.

_No,_she thought rebelliously. She would stay until she knew just what to do. But until then, she'd be damned if she let Tobe make her feel anymore wretched than she felt now.

She pushed herself from the bed. She saw the clothes folded neatly on the bed. To her relief, it was a simple white shirt and sweatpants. Of course, a new set of underwear was too much to hope for.

She went to the bathroom and stepped out of her nightgown. She desperately needed a shower. She couldn't remember the last time she had one… _well, duh._

But she figured she must've travelled long time in the forest since civilization was far away. God knew when she had last been clean.

_God, my head hurts,_ she thought, fighting the urge to vomit.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror.

She gasped in horror at the extent of her injuries. Except for the wounds that were already covered in bandages, there were scratches on her arms and legs. And there were dark bruises on her skin. Her complexion too was unnaturally pale.

_What Hell have I been through?_

Clad in only her underwear, she examined the strange woman reflected in the mirror. It was the first time since her amnesia that she'd seen what she looked like. Having no memory of the woman before her, she could objectively say, she could've been quite pretty. But right at that moment, she just looked pathetic.

Gently, she took off the dressing on her wrist. There was a rough red line encircling it. There were areas on her skin that was broken and upraised welts had formed. At some point it must've stopped bleeding. She unwrapped the bandages on her other wrist and ankles and saw the same garish rings decorating them.

When it came to unwrapping the dressing on her head, she realized her wound had been stitched up.

She must've been completely out of it to not even realize that.

She stepped into the shower and adjusted the temperature to warm. She found some soap and shampoo and figured since Tobe minded everything she did, using his toiletries wouldn't make a difference.

She washed herself gently but quickly. It would do no good if that brute came barging in demanding what was taking her so long.

Finished, she put on the clothes he gave her. The shirt and sweatpants was a bit large for her. But she tightened the pants' drawstring around her waist.

"Pucca…" she repeated, testing the name rolling off her tongue. _Well, having any name would be better than this empty feeling of anonymity._

With a deep breath, she summoned her courage and walked out of the safety of her room. She knew she must be prepared for anything Tobe would dish out to her.

It wouldn't take a genius to know it wouldn't just be dinner.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: *Groan* I hope that wasn't too horrible. I'm actually a Garu/Pucca shipper and I've only been writing rated T stories until now. So I'm stepping waaay out of my comfort zone with this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The only difference between going into war and having dinner with Tobe was that the former had more men involved.

They were waiting in the dining room for their dinner. No one had said a word since she sat opposite him on the rectangular dining table. The silence between them made her edgy.

It was like waiting for a bomb to drop.

She was fiddling anxiously with the napkin on her lap. When she glanced furtively at him, she found him watching her intently with an unreadable expression.

Almost defiantly, she met his stare head-on.

Tobe smirked but said nothing.

It was at that moment that someone wheeled in their dinner on a cart.

The meal was plain but it looked and smelled mouthwatering. Steaks, sizzling and juicy, were accompanied by baked potatoes and crisp salad. Rolls were fresh from the oven and coated with a honey glaze.

"Lori, you've outdone yourself again," she was surprised to hear him say to the staff member who brought them their food.

Lori was a rather plump woman who was probably in her sixties. Her wavy white hair was cropped just above her chin. Her brown eyes were warm and twin spots of red appeared on her cheeks as she smiled gleefully at Tobe's genuine praise.

"Just wait till you try the dessert. It's a combination of ice cream and peaches with whipped cream, drizzled with raspberry sauce and sprinkled with slivered almonds and pistachio nuts on top," she told him cheerfully.

"That sounds wonderful. I can't wait," Tobe replied then with a more solemn tone, he asked, "Isn't she coming down?"

The smile on Lori's face waned as she regarded Tobe with a sad note. "I'm sorry, Master Tobe. She said she didn't feel like having dinner. But I brought a tray to her in case she changes her mind."

She briefly wondered who Tobe and Lori were referring to. How could she make Tobe seem worried for not coming down rather than becoming his overbearing self and _throwing_ her over his shoulder?

Tobe sighed resignedly, "I appreciate it, Lori."

She nodded. When Lori's eyes met hers, her warm smile slid back into place. "Pucca, isn't it?"

She was slightly surprised that Lori made an effort to talk to her. "Y-yes. That's me. Pucca," she said awkwardly. Her name still sounded foreign to her ears.

"I'm Lori, the housekeeper. It was a good thing Master Tobe found you. Don't worry dear, we'll find some way to get your memory back. Until then, I'm sure you'll feel right at home here."

_That's rich! Is that what he told you?_ Pucca longed to ask her. It was obvious the older woman had absolutely no idea how she came to be there and what was really going on in Tobe's mind.

Pucca glanced at Tobe to find him glaring at her warningly as if he had read her intent. She broke off from his gaze. It was not worth bringing another person into their private battles.

"You must've been through an _awful_ lot. Why, you barely stirred when I put you into something more comfortable to sleep in," Lori sounded concerned when she regarded Pucca that she fought down the horrified blush that was crept up her cheeks at the mention of the nightgown.

Lori eyed the shirt that was hanging off her shoulders. "We couldn't find proper clothes that could fit you. But I believe you're the only slender woman left here," she chuckled. "Don't worry though; a few more days and we'll be able to put some meat on your bones and a healthier color on your skin."

"I'd like that," Pucca smiled. She was starting to like Lori. After everything she'd been through, she was glad that there was _someone_ who was treating her kindly.

"Very well, then. Once you've finished your dinner, I'd call the doctor to wrap your wounds again. He's still upstairs taking care of-"

"That will be all, Lori." Tobe's voice held a hint of warning.

Lori stopped chattering and gazed at Tobe bemusedly. "Well, I'd better leave you with your dinner then."

Pucca watched her retreating back with some apprehension. She felt the urge to call her back and not leave her alone with Tobe.

They ate in silence. Several minutes passed and she was hesitating if she should break it until she couldn't help asking, "How _did_ you find me?"

Tobe paused in his act of eating and looked at her.

"I didn't," he said then slid a morsel of beef into his mouth and chewed deliberately slow.

Pucca waited exasperatedly for him to continue.

"That's just what I told Lori because I didn't want her to be upset."

Although, it explained why the woman was kept in the dark, Pucca was a bit surprised that someone as cold as him had a soft spot for his housekeeper.

"The truth is, two of my ninjas found you trying to break into the house. When they confronted you, you demanded to see me but won't give any reason why. They didn't let you in so you attacked them," Tobe told her in a deadpan manner. But she could see in his eyes the incredulity he felt.

_It doesn't make any sense._

If what he was saying was true, then she travelled for days without any other belongings wanting to see a man she had never met before and was desperate enough to attack anyone who stood in her way.

It didn't add up.

It seemed too far-fetched but maybe it was crazy enough to be true.

_But how much of what he's saying is the truth?_

How did Pucca even know where he lived? Based on his reactions, and even the location of the place, not much people had that information. Maybe that was why he went ballistic when she'd arrived.

So many questions buzzed through her mind. But one stood out.

"So before I came here, I still had my memory. How did I lose it?" dread churned in her stomach. She had lost her appetite. The food that seemed so delicious before could just as well be sawdust and she wouldn't even notice.

His eyes spoke of resolute indifference when he said, "During your fight with my two men. According to them, you put up a _hell_ of a fight. To summarize their words, there were lots of kicking, punching, clawing… While they were _bravely_ trying to subdue you, you launched yourself into the air like a goddamn missile and locked in on one of them. He had barely dodged your fists and made a side step when you bashed into a tree instead.

"I'm guessing that was when you first hit your head. The second time would be when you fell to the ground. You were unconscious after that."

She shook her head at his blunt and overstated description of the events. "I- I couldn't have."

She sounded like a deranged lunatic. It was hard to believe that _two_ men found it hard to stop her. She was _that_ strong?

She cast a disbelieving glance at Tobe.

Tobe saw her reaction and snorted. "You've dented their egos and that's why their story's a bit exaggerated. But they have no reason to outright lie to me and _you_ don't have enough reason to believe otherwise. They're the ones who could remember the incident not you."

Pucca glared daggers at him then said mockingly, "I'm guessing that was the time you had the brilliant idea of tying up an unconscious and helpless woman."

His eyes blazed in anger at her impertinence. "You're no damsel in distress. You may act like the innocent victim now, but you're the freakin' villainess in our sordid drama. I feel like I'm living with a ticking bomb, counting down until you blow up on my face.

"Let me remind you that you tried to _break_ into my home, _attacked_ my men and god knows what you wanted from me. Once they suggested you be tied up, I agreed. I couldn't risk you waking up and roaming around my house and hurting anyone else here. "

"I wouldn't do that!"she protested.

He arched a brow pointedly. "Says the one who has no idea who she is."

Pucca wished nothing else than to lunge at him and claw his eyes out at that moment. "I _loathe_ you…" she said, her tone low and menacing.

Tobe just waved a hand dismissively, as if what she said was of no consequence to him. "Just shut up and eat your dinner. I'll send Dr. Han to your room to dress your wounds after."

"Why, I didn't know you cared," she taunted.

He looked at her with contempt. "Hardly," he said before jamming a roll in his mouth.

Following his example, she picked up her fork but found that she had completely lost her appetite. She forced down each bite, all the while just wanting to finish her horrendous dinner with him.

_God, how she hated him._

She ruthlessly hacked her steak with her knife then stabbing the massacred morsel with a fork. Her utensils clanked and grated noisily on her plate.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that screeching noise I'm hearing is not your knife grating on the plate but your steak screaming as you hack it to its second death," she heard him say in a bored voice. Pucca looked up and saw him regarding her with sardonic amusement. "If you have something to say, then just say it,"

"I thought you told me to shut up," Pucca snapped at him.

"I did. But you're not doing it right so I'd rather hear your _charming _voice than that god-awful noise your making. "

She stayed silent, she was getting tired of him making fun of her.

"Well?"

She could tell him about a thousand dark ways she wanted to do to him but she thought of something better.

"Let me talk to the ninjas who found me. I want to see them."

"No_._" His tone was conclusive.

"Why not? They might help jog my memory," she persisted. "You want answers too, don't you?"

"I do but they're still convalescing from your last _encounter_." He seemed to sneer at the word.

She could feel herself getting angrier with his continued display of arrogant dismissal.

"Did I beat them up pretty badly? How could one little girl beat up two big baddies?" she asked in a mocking tone. She could see he was fast losing his patience with her.

"Well _little girl_," he said fiercely, placing his hands flat on the table and leaning towards her. "You've gifted them those concussions, bruised ribs, black eyes and some minor cases of internal bleeding. Trust me when I say, they would not be happy to see you."

Despite herself, she winced. "But I still need to see them. They're the last people I've seen before I had my amnesia! Maybe seeing them in that condition could trigger something."

He stood up suddenly, slamming his fists on the table. "_Yes_! A fight! If you would go storming down to them demanding answers, you would have _me_ to deal with," was the snarling reply. "Don't you think you've done enough? Now you want to see them, point to their injuries and interrogate them about how you caused each one?" Even five feet away with the table between them, she could see the murderous thrust of his rapier gaze.

She stood up too. "No! That's not what I-"

"The only reason, you're not tied up in that dark basement is because I believe your mind would open up more if you were given a _bit_ of freedom. But remember that you're walking around under _my_ house and under _my_ terms. Stop trying to overstep your boundaries or I'll tie you back in bed! _Understand!_" he roared angrily.

Pucca felt like crying as she shouted, "I just want my memories back! Is that too much to ask?"

"_Tobe! Pucca!_ What on earth is going on here?_" _Lori came into the dining room just in time to hear Pucca's pleading. She was wheeling the dessert she promised. Unfortunately, both of them seemed to have lost their appetites. "Tobe why are you upsetting our guest?" she asked reproachfully.

Tobe bristled then thundered, "_I'm_ upsetting _her?_ She's the one who came barging in and disrupting my orderly life. Now she's questioning, making demands as if she owns the place! She's no guest! She's nothing but a-" He took a calming breath and said, "You know what? Screw this. I'm going to bed."

Pucca watched his retreating back then slumped in her chair. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I'm sorry too. It's rare to see Tobe like that. I've been this family's housekeeper for decades and let me tell you, I haven't seen him lose his temper like that in years." If that was meant to comfort her, it fell sadly short of its mark.

She stared at the housekeeper thoughtfully as Lori picked up the two desserts and handed one to Pucca. "Here. When I'm upset, food is my friend."

Pucca smiled as she took the dessert. "Thanks."

Lori pulled up a chair next to her and joined in eating.

She picked up a spoonful and her tongue was treated to a burst of flavors. She wondered bleakly if, long ago, she also ate ice cream when she was upset.

For several minutes, Pucca enjoyed Lori's stories about how she met her Joe, her late husband and about their life together. Joe was the resident cook and had taught Lori all his recipes. When he died ten years ago, Lori had also taken up the position as a cook as well as a housekeeper. She didn't mind. It was better that she became the cook, She did not want some stranger trying to replace Joe and feeding the family food that were not her late husband's recipes.

"You said you've served here for decades," she asked hesitantly, wondering if Lori would take kindly to her prying. But she needed to know who she was dealing with. "Does that mean you've known Tobe since he was a boy?"

Lori smiled reminiscently. "Oh yes. He was a mischievous lad. I could remember a time when he was just six he snuck out late at night and met up with other villagers' children because he heard there would be a meteor shower. Always so bright and curious. I guess that's why he always got into trouble." Her smile dimmed at a memory. "His father was a hard man and his mother, to say the least, was too weak or was too scared of him. Tobe suffered enough under his parents but he made sure his younger sister wouldn't suffer the same treatment."

"He has a sister?" she asked licking the cream off her spoon.

Lori sighed, "Her name's Tara. Tobe would do anything to protect her and she idolizes him."

"Where is she now?" Pucca asked though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Just then, a shadow fell over them. Pucca felt her skin prickle in dread.

"Pucca," came a dangerously soft voice. "We need to talk."

She slowly angled her head to look at him and saw him looking down on her from behind. "You said you were going to bed," she said almost accusingly.

"I was," he deadpanned. "I just came down to get something in the living room when I heard you say my name," he said, idly fingering the edges of a brown envelope.

Lori seemed to note the tension between the two and seemed to hesitate. "Tobe, I was just telling her stories about me and Joe. And how you were as a boy."

"Ah… I'm sure she enjoyed your stories about Joe. I do too... But she doesn't need to know about me. Now if you'll excuse Pucca, I just want to clear things between the two of us."

Despite his level tone, Pucca saw a hint of hardness in his eyes but Lori didn't seem to notice given that she looked relieved.

Obviously, Lori's interpretation of his words included Tobe and Pucca making up from their earlier fight. She presumed it was because Lori seemed to be someone who, for the most part, only saw the silver lining and not the damning storm cloud.

Lori stood up and smiled at them amiably. "Alright. Goodnight then."

When Lori was gone, the room's temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

He slapped the envelope flat on top of the table. "Come with me," he ordered through clenched teeth.

Pucca stood up and left her half-eaten dessert on the table with a sense of foreboding.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm just starting to make Tobe seem more human rather than the licentious, hardhearted warden Pucca thinks of him now so it would be possible to take their weird and twisted relationship on a different level.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With every step, Pucca's anxiety increased. But there was no way, she'd let him know how much he really intimidated her. She was at his mercy, they both knew it, but that didn't mean she wanted to give him another reason to lord over her.

Tobe led her down a dark path away from the main house. There was already a dense growth of trees around them. Branches reached out at them like clawed fingers and the wind whistled unnervingly. Somewhere behind her, a shrub rustled and she stopped herself from jumping.

There were several times she stumbled and instinctively reached out to him for balance but she stopped herself. She felt so weak and she hated the feeling.

Except for the wind whispering through the leaves and the crackling dried leaves under their feet, the night was still.

"You're not taking me to the woods to kill me, are you?" she asked deceptively blasé, concealing the turbulent emotions crashing inside her like waves.

Tobe looked at her from the corner of his stormy black eyes but didn't speak.

"You know, you're taking this waaay too seriously. I only asked about you because…" she hesitated, her indifferent veneer chipping. She did not know if telling the truth would help her case.

Tobe stopped and turned to level her a dark stare. "Yes?" his voice was disconcertingly calm.

"Um, I just thought if I would know more about you, I'd know what to expect." She rubbed the back of her neck in a vulnerable gesture. "You're not some psychotic killer with a terrible mood disorder, are you?"

He smirked but there was no humor in his eyes. "And in spite of your misgivings, you came here with me anyway." He reached out a hand and she instinctively recoiled but he only toyed with her hair. "Alone out here in the dark, no one else can see us, or hear us."

He was just trying to scare her. But the knowledge didn't render his statement false. The dense woodland obscured them from anyone in or near the house.

She swallowed. He couldn't tell what he was thinking. His face was like a blank mask. "I realized that but… I don't think that would really matter. No one within a hundred mile radius would care, seeing as the only other people here are on your payroll," she said seemingly unconcerned.

He smirked again cocking a brow. "True." He continued to play with her hair while she remained rigid. She would not give him his sadistic pleasure of watching her squirm. But it took sheer will and exceptional effort not to do so. "Ah, Pucca. Why don't we start clearing a few things between us? Hmm? I have two words for you… _back off._"

When she didn't answer, he strode towards her like a predator stalking its prey.

Unknowingly and literally, she heeded his word, slowly backing away in an effort to avoid him until her back bumped against a tree. He loomed over her, leaning his forearm against the tree just above her head.

She realized too late that he'd trapped her against the tree.

She knew he was still furious but his brooding silence intimidated her more than his brash and angry reproach. What made her more uneasy was that, he didn't seem to be doing it on purpose. She almost wished he would just lash out at her again. At least then, she knew what he was thinking.

His free hand toyed with her hair again, his fingers fiddling with the strands of hair just below the hairline on her nape. When he spoke, his voice came out low and dangerous, "Don't try to understand me. I am my own business. I don't like it when someone asks questions about me. I especially don't like it when someone tries to take advantage of my staff members for information."

"Tobe…" Pucca said his name in a gush of breath. Her heart was erratically banging against her rib cage. She realized it was the first time she called him by his name out loud and in his presence.

Tobe cupped her nape then gently traced small circles on the sensitive skin of her throat with his thumb. When she shivered at his touch, he said huskily, "But I do like how you say name. Say it again."

It was neither a question nor a request. Pucca's eyes went wide, an array of emotions crossing her face. Shock, fear, confusion… want.

"I said say it again!" he roared, his eyes fierce and heated.

Pucca couldn't find enough air to speak.

"_SAY MY NAME_!"

"T-Tobe!" she finally stammered in response.

He was breathing just as hard as he stared at her. He seemed to calm down a bit and his face closed up again. "Good. At least you're starting to do what I tell you to. But… one more thing we'll have to tackle is your punishment. I told you not to cross another line, but you still did."

" You can't do that! No! _I'm not going back there again!_"

He suddenly moved and grasped her by the waist and pulled her to him. Startled, she let out a scream. His other hand snaked from behind and tugged at her hair tightly, forcing her to look at him.

"When are you going to understand that this is not about what _you_want?" He said through gritted teeth. "This is about what _I_ choose to do with _you_."

Pucca bit her bottom lip hard in her anxiety until she could discern the coppery taste of blood. Tobe's eyes darkened as his gaze lowered to her mouth. For several heartbeats, he just stared. As if in a trance, his hold on her slackened. The hand on her hair began hypnotically stroking her raven locks, sending a current of excitement down her spine.

"Tobe…" she said breathily, unable to help herself from the hunger in his eyes.

When he spoke, his voice was a rumbling purr that made her skin tingle and her breasts tighten, "Pucca… I'm not used to getting what I want. But when I do… I make the most of it."

He lowered his head nearer hers. He flicked a tongue on her bottom lip and soothingly passed it on her wound.

Pucca gasped and Tobe took advantage of the moment, thrusting his questing tongue inside the sweet cavern of her mouth.

Panic clawed at her and blood rushed loudly in her ears. Instinctively, she lifted her hands and pushed against the hard-muscled wall of his chest. But his hands encircled her waist and tightened possessively.

Then she noticed the strong, yet unsteady heartbeat. _So he's not as unemotional about this as I thought,_she thought in amazement and… satisfaction.

A rippling tide of awareness heated her blood. And the musky male scent of heat and spice clouded her already bemused brain. Her eyes unconsciously closed as she lost herself in his masterful seduction.

His mouth caressed hers… slowly, deliberately, provocatively. His lips were soft yet persistent. He sucked, nibbled and licked her swollen lips.

Her hands on his chest slid upwards, tracing the contours of his chest before clutching the back of his neck to deepen the kiss.

He groaned in pleasure, drinking in her sweetness. His hands, which were previously roaming her back, spanned her buttocks before pulling her upwards to meet the proof of his desire.

"_Oh,"_Pucca breathed out after releasing his lips.

How could someone as hard and unfeeling as he was be capable of sending such strong emotions coursing through her? But then she remembered their passionate arguments. Did she even suspect that their passion could fuel as much fire in their kisses and touches as it would their anger?

No, she did not.

But his lips, his hands, his hard body, oh, so hot and sensual, sent liquid heat churning at the pit of her belly then making a burning trail down her nether regions. She writhed against him, vainly trying to ease the ache between her legs.

Tobe kissed his way down her neck and she clutched his hair desperately. His hands lifted the hem of her shirt then caressed the soft skin under the fabric. His hands glided upwards, meeting her bare breasts.

"You're not wearing a bra," his voice was husky with desire.

Pucca sighed blissfully. "You didn't bring me one," she said, her voice like heated honey over gravel. She leaned against his hand, her hardened peaks pushing against his calloused palm. A shock of carnal pleasure went through her. In a sudden gush of courage, she whispered brazenly in his ear, "You didn't bring me panties either."

Tobe's control seemed to snap as he brought his mouth crashing down to hers.

Her eyes closed in ecstasy. Then a scene flashed behind her closed eye lids.

"_You can't even say my name can you?" she heard a masculine voice behind her say disdainfully. When she still didn't speak, he continued, "After what happened, even the sound of my name on your lips repulses you, huh? I didn't think you were the love'em and leave'em type."_

_This time she did speak, "I don't love you." But the sound wasn't as strong as she had hoped._

_After a minute of silence, he answered sadly, "No. I didn't think you would."_

"Pucca?" For a moment, she thought she was still reliving the memory. "Are you alright?" There was no mistaking the concern in his voice but it surprised her nonetheless.

"Y-yes," she said, rubbing her temples. Instead of feeling relieved that she had a sign that her amnesia was abating, the memory made her heart ache though she didn't know why. "It's nothing Tobe… it's just…"

"What?" he asked, gripping her wrist. It should have been a gentle entreating gesture if neither of them had forgotten about her wounds.

"Ow! My- my wrists." Tobe suddenly let her go and stepped back.

A look of astonishment and self-contempt was evident on his face.

"Dammit! I've forgotten about your injuries. I shouldn't have… I never would have-" he went on as he helped her straighten her clothes. His trembling hands revealed his vulnerability.

Before she could stop herself, she laid a finger on his lips, halting his tirade. "Sshh… It's okay. If it's any consolation, I've forgotten about it too."

Why she felt the need to console him, she had no answer. Maybe it was the lingering compassion she felt when she remembered a voice…It was a man. Just a man. She couldn't remember who he was. Whoever he was, she wished that she had said something that could console him too.

For a brief second, Tobe smiled wryly against the pad of her finger. Not a sneer, a smirk or a scowl but a smile. It softened his hardened features, even his eyes warmed considerably.

But it was for a brief second only. Wariness replaced the warmth and Pucca missed it already. He had deliberately schooled his face to the indifferent mask he wore so often.

Dejectedly, she dropped her hand. To her surprise, he took it but he carefully avoided the injuries.

"Come one. It's getting late," he said, not sparing her a glance as he tugged at her hand and did not let go until they were back in the main house.

Back inside the house, he led her upstairs and into a room she'd never been in before.

"This your bedroom, isn't it?" she confirmed. She really didn't need to ask. Judging by the masculine décor of the room, this was the master's bedroom.

"Yes. Stay here while I go get Dr. Han," He stated and before she could reply, he closed the door between them.

A few minutes later, Tobe and the doctor arrived to find her sitting on the vast bed.

The doctor, to say the least, was not what she'd expected. For one thing, he was young. He was probably in his late twenties and only a few years older than her. He was tall and lanky. He wasn't the most classically handsome man, but his warm brown eyes and quiet charm made up for it.

He did a series of examinations, questioning her from the time of day to where were they but she was finding it hard to concentrate. She couldn't answer. All she could really tell him was whatever few memories she had during the first day she realized her predicament. Her answers were honest but brief. She checked herself from saying too much._  
_

"All done," he said right after he had finished dressing her wounds.

"Thank you, Dr. Han." Pucca smiled when he wrinkled his nose.

"Please call me, Jian… or Mr. Wonderful, Fascinating, Attractive… Pick any of those. I don't really care. Just not Dr. Han. That's what people call my father."

Her eyes sparkled in shared humor. "Jian it is."

"Good. I'll say good night then. Tobe's waiting for me in his study," he said. He was about to leave when Pucca stopped him with a hand on his forearm.

"Jian, wait. Can you do something to… I don't know. Just something to get rid of this memory loss?"

He smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry. There is no specific cure or rules regarding amnesia. And I'm just a physician. If you want an expert opinion, you need a doctor who specializes in cases like yours. A psychiatrist or a neurologist, I think."

Her head fell to her chin and she bit her lip anxiously.

She heard him sigh. "I may not be an expert but I'm not completely clueless. Want to hear it?"

Pucca perked up a bit. "Please."

"Alright. We know you developed retrograde amnesia when you suffered a severe head trauma. Your memory may come back while your head injury heals but it's not a sure thing. It would be better if you were in a more familiar environment but since that cannot be helped, just relax and don't force yourself to remember everything all at once. Take it easy and let the memories come. Try not to stress yourself."

Pucca thought immediately of Tobe. _Ha! I wish!_

"But there's no guarantee I'll be back to normal. What if I never get my memory back?"

Jian placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "I can't guarantee anything. In fact, I learned in my line of work that there are really no guarantees in life. It's fleeting and unforeseen circumstances can turn your life upside down. Mess everything up, or give you nice surprises. But we see through the day and survive. Amnesia or not, you're a survivor." Pucca was held captive by the self-possessed astuteness in his gaze.

"That's the most wonderful thing anyone's ever said to me in a while. Thank you." Impulsively, she gave him a peck on the cheek. She had an uncanny feeling that she'd been doing this sort of thing before.

Jian placed a gentle hand on her knee. "You're welcome. If you need me, I'll just be around."

Pucca looked at him curiously, debating whether or not she should ask. "If you don't mind my asking, why _are _you here?"

"You mean, except for you? Tobe and I have a long history. So when he asked me to care for Tara, I agreed."

She was about to ask more questions when the door opened and Tobe strode inside. "I've never been a patient man. I got tired of waiting in the study"

"Oh! Sorry about that. I got a little sidetracked" Jian placed a hand on her knee. "We were talking about… well many things, I guess."

"Uh-huh, that's very interesting. Now will you get out of my room and leave us?" he said offhandedly. But the fierce gleam in his eyes contrasted with his tone.

Pucca gasped in outrage. "How could you be so rude?"

The doctor just chuckled, pushed himself from the bed and stood up.

"It's quite alright, Pucca. I'm used to him." Jian said then turned to Tobe with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "So _that's_ how it is, eh. Don't worry, I don't take what's not mine. Though it's quite a pity," he said ruefully. A spark of masculine appreciation was evident in his eyes when he gazed at Pucca.

"Jian…" came a warning growl. "Pucca's tired. We'll see you in the morning."

After they were alone, Tobe met Pucca's withering glance with a cool stare. "If you have any designs on him, you better forget it. He has enough on his plate without you adding to his problems." Pucca hardly knew what that meant but she supposed it had something to do with the elusive woman that was Tara.

Pucca refused to dignify that with an answer. She huffed indignantly and prepared to leave too.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Pucca whirled around and saw him looking at her disapprovingly, arms crossed over his chest.

"Why are you asking me? You _declared_ that I'm tired. So you should be pleased to know that I'm going to bed. I need to relax and sleeping is the only time I get to do that."

"I _am_ pleased that you're so eager to go to bed," he drawled. "Because from tonight, you'll be sleeping with me."

Pucca stilled, dread chilling her blood. "_What did you say?"_

"Remember what I said about your penalty for crossing me again?" Pucca swallowed, her throat suddenly dry when she saw the heat in his eyes. "I didn't mean it literally. At least not anymore. And there had been some changes. You will be tied in a way that I expect you to sleep in my bed every night. And you must know that once you're well, sleeping won't be our only agenda."

She felt many emotions jumble inside her. Dread, horror, revolt, anger, indignation... But one particular emotion disconcerted her more than anything else. Anticipation.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: So, um, when I mentioned taking Pucca and Tobe's relationship on a 'different level', this is not yet it. Though, it's progress, it's a long way from the end. I have much more planned for this one.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Sorry about putting 'HIATUS' there. I'll be going away for a few weeks because a job required me to go to a place where I won't have any internet connection ***_**gasp**_***. I'm not sure when that'll be but in the meantime, here's a new chapter.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 5**

_The man came to her in her dream again. It was the same dream only a bit different._

_Hot lips trailed against her skin. Rough hands raked against her silken skin in passion. Sounds of ecstasy echoed in the still night._

_Everything was dark. She couldn't see. She could only hear and feel._

_Then a stream of moonlight passed them. For a second, she saw eyes glittering with so much life and passion._

_But they were not the eyes she thought she recognized._

_She gasped in horror at what she had done. But for some reason, which she would later deny, she felt tempted to just close her eyes and be swept by the sensual promises his eyes held._

_But it was too late._

_Her heart ached when the life in his brilliant dark eyes began to fade with the realization that his eyes were not the ones she expected to see…_

_She called to him but he ignored her. Her feet were rooted to the ground and all she could see was his retreating back._

"Pucca…" That voice. It sounded so soft, hesitant … familiar.

"Don't go…" she whispered beseechingly in her semiconscious state.

"Pucca, wake up."

Her eyes felt so heavy but she managed to open them.

She saw him sitting beside her on the bed, hovering over her. His expression was closed and unreadable as he stared at her.

"Tobe…" she sounded passed the lump in her throat. "I-I had a nightmare," she explained.

She tried to keep her eyes locked on his and not down to his bare chest.

Tobe scooted closer and cupped her cheek. He swiped his thumb under the sensitive skin of her eyes. She trembled from the current of electricity his touch evoked. "It was more than that," he said dispassionately, looking at the moisture he'd gathered with his thumb then rubbed it with his fingers. "It was a memory, wasn't it?"

Pucca swiped the back of her hand on her cheeks. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying. She sniffed. "Mm-mm," she sounded in agreement.

"Would you like to tell me what it is?" His voice was gentle yet mesmerizing, his eyes were deep and penetrating. She felt herself become drawn to him and despite her better judgment, she suddenly wanted to talk about the man haunting her nights.

"It- it was a man. I don't know who but I've been dreaming about him lately. I remember kissing him and maybe more. His kisses are all I remember." _Why are you telling him this, _a part of her cried. "He left me. I tried calling him back but… I guess he thought I wanted somebody else."

Beside her, Tobe seemed to stiffen. But when she glanced at him, his face was an unreadable mask. "Didn't you?" he asked. Nothing in his voice revealed what he felt.

Pucca sighed, wrapping her arms around her midsection in a vulnerable gesture. "I don't know. If I did, then I don't remember. I told him I didn't love him but… but in truth, I wasn't so sure if I didn't. It's hard to explain. But I felt _drawn_ to him. Does that make sense?"

He nodded, staring at her for a full minute as if she was a puzzle he couldn't decipher.

"What?"

He cleared his throat before saying, "Do you remember anything else?"

Pucca closed her eyes for a brief second as she summoned the few memories she had. "There was this other dream I had when I was… when I was tied up in your basement."

Tobe's eyes slid from hers. "Go on."

"There was this girl. A pretty, smiling girl with a flower tucked behind her ear. She screamed when these shadows _things_ crept up on her. I screamed at them not to touch her but one of them turned to me and glared. Its eyes were filled with so much malice and _hate.._." She shivered. "They attacked me. I remember blacking out but before I did, I heard someone scream." Pucca let out a gush of breath. "I think it was the girl. I wonder if she's okay."

"I'm sure she is but don't worry about it for now. Right now, you need to get some sleep." Tobe lifted the covers and placed it over her.

Pucca tried not to stare at this change of him. He didn't seem so distant right now as he listened to her and comforted her. His actions just seemed approachable, compassionate. Human. It didn't seem to match with her idea of him as a controlling and hateful monster.

What was up with him? His mood kept swinging from one extreme to another. He went from angrily biting her head off to acting cool and distant, from kissing her senseless to mentally and emotionally tormenting her. Now he was wiping her tears and comforting her? Which was the real him? Was he just putting up a front or just plain crazy?

Pucca laid back in bed, not bothering to strike up a fuss over sleeping with him on the same bed, unlike the way she did so hours ago. Maybe she _should_ protest so he wouldn't think that she would be willing to concede to his wishes.

_But…_

Maybe she was just as crazy as him. But she didn't want to ruin this quiet moment with him.

_What moment?_

The moment when she got a taste of how it was to be on his good side. Maybe it was a good thing for him to see that she wasn't a threat to him so he would just stop making her _temporary_ living arrangement with him a living arrangement in hell.

If that meant biting her tongue for every urge to retort, then so be it.

_Lower the pride and sarcasm. Got it._

But what if she was trying to befriend the enemy?

_Who said anything about being friends for real? Suck it up and just pretend._

Pucca turned on her side facing away from him. He was confusing her. Everything about him and her situation was confusing. But she couldn't think of a better plan.

Her headache wasn't helping her think. And the few memories she had that were running through her mind wasn't helping her headache either.

Several minutes passed and her eyelids began to droop.

Soon she drifted into sleep.

But dreams came to plague her again. Her heart felt so heavy with grief. She knew she was crying for people she didn't know. The girl, that man, and herself.

"Don't go," she murmured in her sleep for the second time.

It was then she felt a soothing warmth stroking her cheek. The caresses trailed down her arms and up again, leaving a calming balminess. "I won't."

The voice pulled her from the depths of sleep. Her eyelids opened blinkingly.

She stiffened.

Tobe had scooted closer to her. The blanket covering them trapped the heat radiating off their bodies.

They were too close. Her back was leaning against Tobe's bare chest. She could feel his body heat through the thin fabric of her shirt. His hand gently trailed up and down her arm then settled on her waist.

She didn't move. Her lethargy faded as her body responded to his touch. An answering heat blossomed in her belly. She made an effort to keep her breathing even as she feigned sleep.

Her nerves hummed with the hot current of desire he was arousing. She bit back a groan when he nuzzled her neck. "Pucca…" he sighed. The hand on her waist slowly inched to her hips.

_Oh god. _Her eyes closed in longing. Her limbs itched to turn around and pull him to her.

"Stop crying," he crooned then grasped her hip and pulled her to him. She could feel his aroused manhood between her thighs. "Face me. I know you're not asleep."

She gasped in shock then turned around to face him. The blanket draped on his hips, revealing his naked and blatantly virile upper body. He had an elbow propped on a pillow as he cradled his head with his palm. He was looking down at her. His hot gaze roamed her figure and though she had tucked the blanket under her arms, she still felt exposed.

The hand propping his head reached behind her the circled her shoulders. He laid on his back pulling her with him.

"Hey!" She lost her balance and was draped over half his body, her head cushioned by his chest.

When she struggled to free herself, the arms around her shoulders tightened. "Stay. You can sleep like this."

"Sleep?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, sleep." He sounded amused. "I'm not going to take you tonight. "

_You're not? _A completely irrational and wanton part of her wept. She lifted her eyes to meet his heavy-lidded gaze.

"Not yet." He said the words like a promise. "But I can't have you here and not touch you."

"But…" she trailed off meaningfully, uncertainly as she looked at the tented area of the blanket over his loins.

"I can't help it." He said in an impatient gust of breath. "You don't have to worry about that. So sleep," he ordered. Pucca thought he sounded sincere so she relaxed.

She wasn't sure how things were between them exactly but she knew something changed drastically. She didn't know how and why it did so. But it disturbed her that she was willing to accept it so easily.

She didn't trust him or his part in the circumstances that led her to him but that didn't mean she couldn't accept her bizarre situation for what it was and try to make the most of it.

With that line of reasoning, she laid her head back on his chest and closed her eyes. This time, when sleep took her, she had a deep, dreamless sleep.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Hey, can anyone tell me if I'm going too intimate too fast? Because if so, I can always have them fight again on the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: I'm back! I'm so sorry for taking so long. I hope you hadn't forgotten me or this story. Anyway, here's the chapter that had taken doses of your wonderful reviews to get me to write again.**

**By the way, I hope you won't hate me for this, but Tobe is hardly present here. Relax… Don't people say that absence makes the heart grow fonder?**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 6**

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows. Pucca blinked open her eyes despite its harsh glare, stretching her limbs as she did so.

_Tobe…_

Memories of last night flashed in her mind and she fought down the hot flush of embarrassment tainting her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure why or if it really happened since it seemed so surreal.

_So what now? S_he couldn't help but wonder.

She looked at the other side of the bed and found it empty. Despite herself, she reached out a hand and felt its cool surface.

So, he's been gone for a while. With her mind still clouded by sleep, she was caught off guard when a feeling of resentment blossomed in her chest. She quickly chucked it to the fact that it was because he had left her feeling emotionally vulnerable from last night.

She took a shower and wore the new set of clothes she saw folded neatly at the foot of the bed. When she got down, Lori had immediately ushered her to the dining room for breakfast.

_He's not here._

Not that she was looking for him. It was just an observation.

"Oh, Pucca?" She jerked her head to the direction of the voice and saw Lori pursing her lips. "Master Tobe said to tell you that he will be gone for a few days. He said you should 'stay put' and wait until he returns." Lori gestured in quotation.

"He's gone?" Pucca frowned. "Where? Why? When's he coming back?"

Lori blinked torpidly at her rapid questioning. "He went to the city but he didn't say why. As to when… It takes two to three days to get to the city by horse so I'm guessing he'll be back in more or less a week."

Pucca felt her temper rising. _How could he just…_

Wait, wasn't this a good thing? She forcefully tamped down her temper.

She could finally relax or do whatever the hell she wanted without him breathing down her neck.

_Because his breathing felt so deliciously slick and hot against her skin, _a voice taunted her.

She could ask questions and try to find out what happened to her without fear of crossing a line.

_Because the last time she crossed him, she ended up in the dark, in his arms then on his bed…_

"Is something wrong?" Pucca halted that particular train of thought before glancing at Lori who was standing beside her, pouring water on her glass. "You're hardly eating." Lori looked intentionally at the noodles Pucca unconsciously kept stirring.

Pucca shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I just have a lot going on in my mind."

_Or maybe just one._

She smiled apologetically. "Sorry for spacing out for a moment there."

Lori smiled understandingly then left her to eat in peace.

Pucca's eyes darkened rebelliously. She may have not much of a choice staying in his house but she wasn't going to twiddle her thumbs and wait for him.

The first part of the week dragged slowly but Pucca determinedly kept herself busy.

She hung out with Lori and Jian during their free time. She sometimes persuaded Lori to let her help in the kitchen whenever they were busy.

During this time with them, Pucca deliberately maneuvered their conversations into telling her more about Tobe, much to their amusement.

_And here she thought she was being subtle._

A part of her questioned why she was just so curious about him, why she felt the need to understand his actions.

Well, the verdict was still out on whether she should treat him as friend or foe, and because if she knew more about him, she might remember why she sought him out in the first place.

_And that was all,_ she thought as she tried to convince the little voice in her head that said otherwise.

"Oh, I think someone's got a little crush on Master Tobe," Lori said teasingly to Jian. Pucca was asking about Tobe again when Jian asked her if she wanted to know about Tobe's love life.

She said yes.

"I do not have a crush on him!" Pucca looked mortified. Two bright spots of red tainted her cheeks.

"What is it with women and Tobe?" Jian sighed in mock frustration shaking his head. "I swear, they always pick him!"

Pucca clenched her teeth. "I do not pick him, or anyone! Besides, maybe I have someone waiting for me and I just can't remember yet." Pucca had just realized that at that moment and the idea made her feel a bit disturbed.

_What about the man in my dreams?_ _Could he be that someone?_ He couldn't be. She remembered that there was another man in the picture. Someone else the former thought she loved.

She hadn't dreamt any new memories in a while. It was always the same dream over and over. And it always left her feeling distressed.

"Or maybe not." Jian raised a brow as if it was not on the cards.

Pucca fumed. "It's still a possibility."

"So that means the reason you can't date Tobe is because of a guy that may or may not even exist. Shame." Jian looked at her regretfully.

"He _may_ exist, you know." She realized how that sounded so she added, "And that's not the only reason I won't be dating Tobe… I don't like him. "

Lori smiled amusedly at her, "Well, you must find him interesting if you keep wanting to know more about him. Keep this up and you'll like him eventually."

Pucca had doubts about that but…

As she pieced together the things she discovered, she found out that Tobe had a rough childhood. According to Lori, the father and son never met eye to eye. Tobe's father had high expectations for him, constantly pushing him to be the best at everything. Everything was treated as a competition. From school to martial arts. Even among friends, Tobe was told that everyone was a competitor so with that kind of outlook, Tobe became an outcast.

Without going into details, she found out from Lori and Jian that it would be the worst of times when Tobe failed to meet those high standards set for him especially since his mother was too weak or scared to contradict her husband. This pushed Tobe to train more and more so he could be stronger in order to protect his sister who also, at times, bore more than a look of disapproval from their father.

The more Pucca found out about Tobe, the more the giant wall of ice around her heart seemed to melt. She couldn't help but pity the boy he had been. The man he'd become, however, wasn't someone to be pitied but admired for his strength and devotion to his sister.

It was early in the morning when she first met Tara. Pucca was having breakfast with Jian when Pucca hesitantly asked about Tara.

Since Tara was a sensitive issue with Tobe, Pucca didn't know how the rest of the household, particularly Jian, would react if she asked too many questions about the woman.

"We don't know what actually happened to her," Jian said gravely. "Two weeks ago, she suddenly disappeared for days then came home with rips on the clothes she wore when she disappeared. Lori said she looked shell-shocked. She was limping when she went straight to her room and wouldn't come out. She wouldn't eat or drink so Tobe called me to check on her."

"What happened?" Pucca stopped eating. Her eyes were round as saucers.

"Whatever the circumstances, except for a twisted ankle, she got away with only a few scrapes." Jian stared down at his noodles, absently stirring them with his chopsticks as he related his story, "We asked her what happened but she only told us was that she wanted to live in their villa for the moment with Tobe and Lori. I suspect she chose this house because only their family knew about this place. Well, that is apart from me and the ninjas Tobe trusted to post here."

She had a horrible feeling that her presence in their house was connected with Tara's situation. Could it be just a big coincidence that she arrived in this isolated place a few days after they chose to hide here?

She didn't think so. Tobe didn't think so either.

_No wonder he wouldn't even talk about Tara in her presence!_

"Obviously, we suspected someone tried to harm her. But being a friend of the family, no one minded that I came offering any support I could give. Tobe told her he was going to bring a few of his trusted ninjas to act as her bodyguards. She put up quite a fuss but Tobe was adamant. As a compromise, he had a bunkhouse built for his men. It's a bit far from the main house but that was how Tara wanted it. She said they could patrol around the house but not step foot inside it."

Pucca looked down at her bowl of noodles wondering what was going through Tara's head when she made her conditions.

Jian shook his head. "I don't understand it, though. Tara knew Tobe's men and she had even been close to them." He looked straight into her eyes, "I'm telling you this because you should know what to expect when you meet her."

"I'm going to meet her?" Pucca couldn't suppress the excitement in her voice then more cautiously, she asked, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Jian nodded. "Tobe didn't want you two to meet especially because of… the circumstances of your arrival but I've come to trust you. Even Lori adores you. I'm an excellent judge of character and there's not a single malicious bone in your body."

Rattled that she was when she realized the doctor knew of the circumstances of her arrival, the warmth and sincerity in his voices still touched her.

"Besides, she's going to know you're here sooner or later. I might as well introduce you two."

Pucca frowned. "So she doesn't know I'm here?"

Jian silently shook his head. "Tobe's worried your presence might upset her. But I believe she's going to be more upset if nobody told her about you."

"I've been here for four days already," Pucca pointed out. "She might be upset anyway."

"That may be the case… But if I don't tell her about you now, she's going to be more upset if she just happened to bump into you."

"That is if she would go downstairs."

"Maybe you can help her. She's young but I hope she can relate to you. You two being girls and all." He waved a hand dismissively.

"I'll try."

"Great! That's all I can ask, anyway," Jian smiled pleasantly then took a sip of his orange juice.

"But aren't you worried about Tobe?"

Jian snorted. "I can handle him. Besides, he'll realize eventually that I'm right and he's just stubborn."

After they finished eating, Jian led her upstairs through a seemingly maze of rooms and corridors. Pucca noted the dark panelling, the low glow of the electric lamps, the smooth surface of the elegant doors they passed.

They stopped in front of a door, which Pucca thought looked liked all the other doors they passed.

Jian knocked on the door sounding a gentle rat-tat-tat.

"Tara, you have a guest," he called out upon opening the door.

At first she thought that Jian must've made a mistake. No one else was there. The room was too dark to let anyone see anything properly.

It took her a while to get used to the darkness of the room. The curtains were closed off and the only source of light was a small lampshade on the bedside table. Except for a few personal touches like paintings, photos, plants, the room was similar to the one she had previously used.

Then she saw a pale yet dark-haired woman sitting up on the bed, her back propped up by pillows. Pucca could see some resemblance to her older brother but as opposed to Tobe's masculine angles and white scar, her face was smooth and refined.

"Tara, this is Pucca. She's been staying with us… to recuperate. She's become somewhat of a patient of mine," Jian sounded evasive. "Pucca, this is Tara."

"Hi," Pucca greeted smilingly holding out a hand politely.

"Hi." She returned Pucca's smile with a small and tentative one of her own before grasping Pucca's hand in a surprisingly strong handshake. "Won't you sit down?" Tara offered graciously gesturing to a nearby sofa.

Pucca sank comfortably into the sofa but Jian remained standing.

"How are you feeling today?" Jian asked gently.

Tara's nose wrinkled as she answered dryly, "Like I'm in cloud nine."

Pucca's mouth twitched in amusement.

Unfazed, Jian strolled towards his patient stopping just beside her bed. "You asked Lori not to bring you any breakfast," he told her disapprovingly crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm not hungry," she mirrored his gesture stubbornly.

The corner of his lips stretched to a calm almost omniscient smile. "I'm getting you your breakfast and when I come back, you're going to pick up your chopsticks and eat."

"I don't feel like eating."

Jian was saying patiently, "Tara, you haven't even eaten your dinner last night. As your doctor, I advise you to at least avoid getting an ulcer."

"As my friend, you should be supportive of my decisions." Tara's eyed him beseechingly.

"As your friend, I should scold you then drag you downstairs and force you to eat," Jian answered good-naturedly "But then, I'm a professional."

Pucca eyed her companions amusedly. She was seeing more and more similarities between the siblings and she had to say that Jian deserved high credit for his patience and practicality in dealing with them. But at the moment, Pucca thought a subtle difference between the siblings seemed to be their eyes. Where Tobe's dark eyes were usually hard and unnervingly direct, Tara's eyes held traces of hesitance and vulnerability that Tobe didn't show. Although that is not to say Tara was openly showing such weakness, Pucca recognized the other woman's attempts to hide it through sheer will, stubbornness and a strong conviction of getting what she wanted.

How could Pucca not recognize it when she herself did it on more than one occasion.

She was already starting to like Tara and she wasn't surpried by that seeing as how she felt a certain kinship the dark-eyed woman _because _of these resemblances with her brother and not _despite_ of them.

She knew any other person who would be in her situation would find nothing likeable about their jailer. But she couldn't help the feeling that Tobe was more than that.

He must be.

She still hadn't forgotten the sweet feeling of familiarity when she first heard his voice. _But didn't that make it more of a reason for her not to like him? Because that would mean he was hiding something._

If only it was that simple, though. Her mind was telling her one thing and her body another. _With every look, every touch, every word, he drew her to him._

Pucca mentally shook her head to stop her wayward thoughts and realized that Jian had just left to get Tara's breakfast and the latter was staring at her cautiously. Pucca thought she could almost hear the wheels in the woman's mind turning.

"No one told me we had a guest in our villa," Tara told her inquiringly.

Pucca shrugged. "I'm guessing they didn't want you to worry."

"What do I need to worry about? Who are you, really?" she asked shrewdly eyeing her bandages.

Pucca made a sound that was half-laugh and half-snort.

"I don't know," Pucca answered honestly though she hesitated if she could tell Tara the whole story. She didn't want to upset her. She paused summoning her courage to speak her next words, "To sum it up, was looking for your brother, got in a fight with his men, lost consciousness and woke up with amnesia."

_There! Vague but true._

Tara's jaw slackened as she stared at Pucca mutely.

"If you're going to ask why I was looking for Tobe," Pucca gave a half smile but it did not reach her eyes, "I've been here for days trying to remember."

The woman seemed to become paler. Her eyes were wide with incredulity. "You can't remember anything?"

Pucca just shook her head keeping her face expressionless as she suppressed the feeling of cold weight lodging in her chest.

A tense silence followed.

Pucca awkwardly looked everywhere but at the woman whose eyes reminded her of how soft Tobe's were that night he held her.

A shiver went through her. It wasn't surprising because the place looked disconcerting, she told herself. Heavy drapes covered the windows, even the glass doors that she knew would lead to the terrace. Streams of sunlight passed through the narrow areas the drapes hadn't fully concealed. They weren't enough to dispel the shadows of the room but it gave the room an eerie atmosphere. It didn't seem to bother Tara though.

"The men… why did you get into a fight with them?" Tara whispered.

"They wouldn't let me see your brother."

"Why not? Didn't Tobe know you?" Tara said.

Pucca shook her head. "We've never met before," she said, remembering the sharp disappointment that came with hearing his words.

_Who am I?_

_I don't know. We don't know each other. I've never met you before this._

Something inside her was resisting his claim. Pucca wondered if Tobe really wanted her to recover her memories or if there was something he didn't want her to remember. Did he really have no idea how she came to be there or was that just a cover up of a bigger plan?

"Have you asked them what happened?"

Pucca glanced at Tara who was chewing on her bottom lip. "No. Tobe said not to go near them. They're still healing from our fight."

Surprise and admiration was evident on the young woman's face.

After a short silence, Tara said, "I'm guessing my brother wouldn't let you walk around freely if he thought you were out to get us," Tara deducted gauging her reaction.

Unable to answer, Pucca just shrugged.

"Aren't you?" Tara persisted.

"I don't think so."

Tara's narrowed gaze reflected her dissatisfaction with Pucca's answer. She had to remind herself that Tara was just naturally suspicious of a stranger who barged into their home.

Pucca added in a reluctant tone, "It would be foolish of me to do so. I'd be turning against the people who're trying to help me. Plus they're the only friends I've got for now. It would be ungrateful of me especially since they've been so nice and hospitable to me." _Not counting Tobe_.

Tara nodded in acknowledgement before saying, "You've been here for days and I didn't know." She frowned petulantly.

"Well, I've been here for days and I haven't bumped into you downstairs,"

"Touché," she said but did not offer any explanation as to why. Pucca didn't push since the other woman looked to be lost in her thoughts.

"Oh man," Pucca leaned her elbows on her knees then looked down at her feet shaking her head. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?" Pucca said in dark humor.

She heard Tara chuckling. It was such a genuine sound that her head jerked in surprise. Tara's face had lost their pained and shadowed appearance. She looked sweet, sunny and so out of place in the dark bedroom.

"Yes we are," Tara's eyes twinkled humorously. "It's nice that there's someone else here who…" she paused, thinking of an appropriate reply.

"Who's just as messed up?" Pucca answered cheekily pointing to her bandaged head.

"What? No, that's not what I was going to say!" Tara blushed profusely. "I was going to say that it's nice that there's someone else who understands."

"Understands what?" Pucca cocked her head to one side.

"How scary the world is out there when everything's so messed up, you don't know what's going on and what's going to happen to you next." Tara had that faraway look in her eyes again. "Then you know, that's just the least of your troubles."

Pucca's jaw tightened as she recognized that Tara was right. She didn't like feeling scared. A part of her told her she wasn't used to the feeling.

She didn't voice that out but instead, smiled sympathetically at Tara. "You know what the bright side in all of this is?"

"What?"

"Lori's cooking." Pucca smiled and Tara's melodic laugh broke the tense atmosphere. "Let's go downstairs and eat."

Tara hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Pucca asked.

"I just feel safer here." Tara pulled up her covers until it reached her chin.

"Safe from what?"

Tara shook her head and tightened her lips. She wondered what had happened to this woman that she wouldn't even go outside of her room.

Pucca was silent for a moment. "Would you at least join your friends and family outside this room? The fear lessens when you're not alone."

Tara looked away but she continued, "I know you're scared, so why don't we take this a step at a time? Together." When Tara looked back at her again, Pucca could see her wavering. She watched the play of emotions crossing Tara's face as she waited for an answer.

Finally, Tara gave a small nod then reached for her hand. Eyes similar to Tobe's reflected their vulnerability and Pucca felt another crack in her icy barrier.

Just then, the door opened.

"All right, kid," They heard Jian's cheery voice as he stepped inside with a tray of food in hand. "You are going to eat even if I have to feed you myself."

Tara pushed herself from the bed and stood up wobbly. "I'm not a little girl anymore, you know. I can feed myself." Despite her proud words, her voice came out shy.

Jian looked incredulously at Tara and Pucca before his lips stretched into a goofy grin. Pucca found it amusing to see this lighter side of Jian who often seemed so composed and cerebral. "That's not the impression you're giving us lately."

Tara's chin angled defiantly. "I'm eating downstairs in a grown up table, sitting up straight and using my utensils like the adult that I am." Tara replied tongue in cheek. Then she hooked her arm in the crook of Jian's elbow leaning against him for balance.

He mussed her hair affectionately. When she hissed irately, Jian chuckled then led them downstairs. As they were walking, he lightly tapped Pucca on the shoulder. When she turned, Jian gave her an appreciative look then mouthed "Thank you."

During the next days, Pucca rarely left Tara's side. Both appreciated, even enjoyed, each other's company.

Whenever they were together, Tara would tell stories about her and her brother which Pucca noticed she was only too happy to tell.

_Too _happy.

When Pucca asked how she was feeling, Tara answered, "I miss my brother. He makes me feel so safe. It's like he can handle anything. Don't you think so?"

When Pucca was swimming in their backyard pool, Tara complimented her swimming finesse before adding, "My brother taught me how to swim but I don't have a strong stamina like he does. He usually does fifty laps a day."

And after showering, Pucca put on the clean shirt and sweatpants Lori laid out for her. Tara looked regretfully at her attire. "I'm sorry my clothes can't fit you. No matter. With a body like that, you can wear anything and make it look good. Even Tobe's clothes." The realization that she had been wearing his clothes gave a mortified blush on her cheeks.

Sometimes, Pucca just wanted her to stop talking about how wonderful Tobe was, how smart, how strong… Tara's hero-worshipping was making Pucca uncomfortable, though she couldn't pinpoint why.

She knew it was because of this that she typically wondered how he was. Well, there was no need to wonder any longer.

Her stomach lurched. "He's coming back today anyway," Pucca mumbled under her breath as she stared was gazing out from the terrace of her bedroom.

The sun was already peeking through the horizon casting a golden incandescence over the deep green forest. As she gazed upon the majestic scenery before her Pucca felt like the days had passed much more quickly to her liking.

She strode back inside her room and checked herself in the mirror. The wound on her head was healing nicely and her bruises were barely visible. Her skin was taking on a healthier glow.

—_from tonight, you'll be sleeping with me…_ his voice sounded in her mind.

Her stomach flipped. She felt edgy and skittish and there was a tight knot in her belly that wouldn't relax. It must've been from all the food she'd eaten for breakfast.

_Once you're well, sleeping won't be our only agenda…_

Was he just trying to intimidate her or would he really go through with it? And for that matter, would she?

She remembered the hot current of desire that flowed between them with every touch. His kisses left flames burning inside her. The image of his dark eyes haunted her with their intensity. It was this evocation that kept her distracted for most of the day.

But night came and he still hadn't come back.

Pucca considered taking a stroll through the backyard to clear her head. She was about to pass by the door leading to the living room when she heard people whispering discreetly. Pucca knew she should just move on and not eavesdrop but her curiosity won over her decorum and she stopped to listen.

"Why isn't he here yet? Maybe something bad has happened," Pucca recognized Tara's distressed voice.

"This is Tobe you're worrying about. You know he can take care of himself. He always does." Jian answered soothingly.

"He… he wouldn't just not come back, right?"

"Why would you even think that?" Jian sounded surprised. Pucca could imagine him frowning in confusion.

"I know it was years ago, but sometimes, whenever he walks out that door… I remember the time when he stormed out. Remember when he and Father had that terrible fight? Tobe hadn't come home until… until…"

"Until years later when he came home with his mouth shut tight and wouldn't talk about where and how he'd been. Yeah… I even remember hearing rumors that he must've left to live in another village. We've been friends since we were children so I was surprised when he suddenly left without saying goodbye. I was pretty pissed about that. Still am." Jian chuckled before saying calmly, "But Tara, Tobe was just fourteen at that time. He's a grown man now. I'm sure he has a good reason for leaving."

"He didn't say why, though." Tara sounded disgruntled.

"You know he doesn't do that. He doesn't even say goodbye. Bad habit, if you ask me."

_Is that why he didn't say goodbye to me, _she wondered dully before scolding herself for expecting one.

Pucca decided she heard enough. She turned around and decided to go to the front porch instead. She sat on the bench and stared at the darkness enfolding the forest outside the fence.

She felt something squeezing her heart. If she didn't know any better, she'd say she was about to cry. Only she wouldn't.

_The effects of the past days must be catching up with me._

She felt dead tired and hollow inside as if she could be swept by a gentle passing breeze.

The wooden bench suddenly seemed like an inviting place to lie on. She laid on her back her feet tucked under her. The night breeze felt like a cooling balm on her skin and the melodic sounds of the night lulled her mind. She closed her eyes…

_An image flashed before her closed eyes. An erotic image of her naked with a man and locked in a passionate embrace as he captured her unwilling mouth in a devastating kiss that soon left her breathless._

_Their mouths broke apart. His lips travelled downwards to her ear and sucked on her earlobe. Then he slid his lips down her neck where he planted heated kisses before gently biting on it._

_She heard a groan. She wasn't quite sure if it came from her or him._

_She hardly noticed her hips involuntarily grinding against his hard body. A hand slid down from her hips to grip her buttocks helping her grind against him._

_He groaned, a low feral sound that sent a shiver down her spine._

_He stopped his assault on the sensitive spot on her neck and directed her a burning look that sent an aching pleasure deep in her core._

_He dropped his head and nuzzled the valley between her breasts. He then placed his mouth over one of the peaks and sucked on it. His slick tongue rubbed against her nipple, alternating from hard and fast to long slow laps._

_She dropped her head back her eyes closed in ecstasy. A moan escaped her lips, "Tobe…" She ran her fingers through his hair as she held his head in place. Her body arched against him urging him on._

"_What are you doing?" Tobe asked._

"_Hmm?" she sounded feeling too drugged with desire to speak coherently._

"Why are you sleeping out here?" A voice asked. It occurred to her that she was no longer sleeping.

Pucca jumped. The sudden movement made her disoriented. She swayed dizzily but a strong grip on her shoulders stopped her from falling over. "I— I didn't meant to. I was just…" Her eyes locked to person she was speaking to and her breath lodged in her throat. "Resting," she squeaked.

Tobe was standing in front of her, looking down at her with stormy eyes as compelling yet unreadable as ever. _Eyes that she had been fantasizing on only seconds ago._

"I— I…" she started. _Say something. "_We should go inside," she said nervously.

He dropped his hands from her shoulders. She hurriedly stepped passed him in an effort to avoid him. But one of his hands reached out and grabbed her hand stopping her.

She looked back at their clasped hands then at him with a bewildered expression. He was looking at her impassively but there was an intense air about him that she couldn't understand.

"Hi" was all he said.

She blinked at him unsurely for a couple of seconds before she replied, "Welcome home."

He gave her a small smile which she returned.

One thing for sure, an unspoken truce was formed.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Pucca's a bit stubborn so I thought she would soften up enough to let other people dissuade her about believing the worst of Tobe if he wasn't there.**

**And just so we're clear, Tobe ran away from home when he was 14 and ended up in a different village where he stayed for years (I guess you already know where). When he came back, he wouldn't talk about what happened to him. That's why no one knows who Pucca is. Well, except for Tobe and his ninjas.**

**I'm still terribly busy but I'll try to update every one or two weeks. I'll try to make it worth the wait.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: Sorry for not making the two-week time-limit. I'm hopeless at deadlines but I'll try to update two chapters a month.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 7**

Pucca could feel the smooth, cool water enveloping her as she plunged into the pool. With graceful strokes and swift kicks, she crossed its other end then rolled her lithe body to do yet another lap.

Three weeks had passed since she stumbled upon her bizarre condition. Her body had healed and she was feeling stronger every day. The only visible reminder of what she'd been through was the white scar just above her temple.

Pucca wasn't giving up hope that she could get her memories back. Far from it, she was feeling hopeful.

Ironically, when she wasn't thinking about her how to get her memories back, they would flash in her mind, notably in the most unusual places. She didn't care if they were just little things, like her favorite food was jajangmyeon, she styled her hair with two buns, that she likes red, and that she did eat ice cream when she was upset. It just gave her a sweet rush of relief that she was a whole person, not just a blank sheet of paper to be rewritten.

So far, Jian was right. When she was feeling her most calm, memories flow through. Calm though, didn't mean it was clear of distractions and Tobe was without a doubt one magnificent distraction.

She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her, feeling it bubble past her lips.

She opened her eyes amidst the water and saw the refracted sunlight coursing through it. She kicked her legs against the tiled floor and broke through the water's surface, gasping for sweet air. She looked around and saw the object of her thoughts standing over the sliding doors, leaning his back against its frame as he talked on his phone.

Even dressed in white long-sleeved shirt and black slacks, his urbane attire couldn't disguise Tobe's untamed masculine aura. The savage air was only emphasized by the mysterious scar on his chiseled face. His shirt was open three buttons down from the neck, hinting at the tanned and muscled chest. Pucca saw him balance the phone between his ear and shoulder as he rolled the sleeves up to his steely forearms.

He was powerful and dominant and devastatingly sexy, she'd give him that because lately, he kept inserting himself in her thoughts.

Sometimes she would remember the way his unnerving eyes would lock on hers, remember the way his lips would curl in his familiar smirk.

There were even times she could even envision him as a rascally kid, often being beaten up by her. The thought made her smile.

_Daydreams, maybe even wishful thinking, _Pucca thought.

Compared to their volatile start, they had been getting on quite well. But that was not to say they didn't bicker, which oftentimes resulted in one of them storming off.

Pucca swam towards the edge of the pool and pushed herself up. She picked up her towel then draped it over one shoulder. As she squeezed the water from her hair, she saw from the corner of her eyes that Tobe was looking at her.

Pucca turned to face him and saw the heat in his frank appraisal of her body. She met Tobe's eyes, unmindful of the similar fire reflected in hers.

She squared her shoulders and walked towards him.

"Tobe," she greeted, her voice sounded husky. She coughed. "Hey," she added her voice now noticeably clearer.

The corner of his lips twitched in a smirk. "Now, don't you look sexy in that number?" His tone was teasing and she had to repress a little quiver of awareness when his eyes slid insolently over her. She thought that the black one-piece suit was the most modest she could find but the Lycra clung to her body and emphasized her soft curves, showing off the smooth skin on her sides.

Pucca rolled her eyes. "You should know. You picked it."

After his week-long absence, he had pushed a large paper bag at her declaring, "Bought you clothes. Wear them."

Pucca stared at him, incredulous at his sudden kindness and generosity. The bag was heavy in her arms and strangely, the clothes were predominantly red and black.

"You didn't have to spend so much money on clothes. I can wear whatever's available."

"And by that, you mean you prefer to wear mine?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Flattering," he said, his eyes glinting humorously.

"It isn't that!" Pucca blushed. "It just seems like a waste when I'll give these back to you once… once this is all over," she muttered awkwardly. She didn't want to be more indebted to him.

The idea of Tobe choosing clothes and even lingerie to buy for her was doing devastating things to Pucca's equilibrium. It just seemed incredibly intimate.

_Did he picture her wearing each outfit, each piece of clothing then decided which would look best on her? Did he gently caress the fabric, feeling the texture with his hands and picked those he believed would feel nice and soft against her skin—_

Hell!

Lost in her thoughts, she was too late to comprehend the dark emotion that briefly shadowed his features.

The teasing note in his voice was replaced by sarcasm when he said, "Yes, because your clothes are _exactly_ my type." He sneered. "Sorry, but I don't get my kicks that way."

Unable to get passed the scarlet flush that tainted her cheeks, she marched away in a huff.

Such was a common sight in the household.

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" Tobe pointedly arched an eyebrow at her.

Pucca mentally dragged herself back from her reverie and tried to focus on Tobe. "Nope," she said childishly, liking the way his arrogant, condescending expression turned to annoyance.

"Bottom line is, we're having some guests over in four days so you'd better be ready."

"Why? What's the event?"

Tobe smirked. He leaned his face closer to hers and tilted her chin up with a crook of a finger. "Why don't you figure that out for yourself."

* * *

"Ugh! I'm _not_ coming out of my room when his _guests _arrive," Tara buried her face on a pillow, muffling her voice, though it couldn't hide the sneer in her voice when she said 'guests'. "Tobe had been on the phone with them all afternoon. I doubt he told them to go away like I told him."

"Why would they be coming, anyway?" Pucca questioned as she leaned on the headboard of Tara's bed.

Tara sat up cross-legged as she faced her clueless friend. "Tobe runs a large security agency. He trains guards from handling weapons to teaching them necessary fighting skills."

"What's that got to do with his guests?"

"Juru owns a company that specializes in creating advanced weaponry and technological security. In addition to that, he has connections in major companies. Tobe's been trying to win his influence for business purposes." Tara looked thoughtful. "I'm guessing that's why they think they can just show up in such short notice."

"So what's so wrong with him?" Pucca frowned.

"He creeps me out. He looks at me like I'm a piece of meat." Tara shrugged. "But it's not so much about him than it is about his sister. She's really, _really_ mean! And about as creepy as her brother. Really!"

Pucca chuckled.

Tara shook her head. "You're going to agree with me once you meet her. She's a real… bitch," she whispered the last word as if it would lessen the vitriol in her tone. "She has nothing to do with her brother's company. I'm guessing she just tagged along to see Tobe. I don't like how she would suddenly plaster herself on him and…" She shuddered.

Pucca's humorous outlook suddenly disappeared as ice flooded her veins. Her stomach seemed to churn more acid than normal.

"Why?" she asked, she gritted her teeth.

Tara hesitated then pursed her lips, "Tobe and Jing-jing share a history."

"Jing-jing." The name seemed to leave a bitter taste on her tongue.

Tara's sweet face contorted in a sneer, "They actually have the gall to invite themselves here and presume they'll be welcome automatically. I wonder why Tobe just let her come and go as she pleases when it's been over between them."

"What do you mean? And how come she knows this place? I thought that aside from Jian and the few ninjas Tobe brought with him, only family members knew about this place." Pucca felt more irritated than she'd like to admit.

Tara bit her lip, looking at her uncomfortably. Pucca wondered why Tara suddenly adopted a careful tone with her when she said, "That's seems about right." She shrugged. "It pains me to admit it but… she was. She's Tobe's ex-wife." For Pucca, time seemed to stand still as she absorbed that piece of news.

Her heart seemed to be ricocheting inside her ribcage. Tara was still speaking but the blood drumming in Pucca's ears was so loud she couldn't hear.

"Whatever connection they still have now, I know Tobe doesn't really care that much for—"

"Um, how long?" Pucca asked, interrupting Tara's words. "How long have they been married?"

"I don't know, Pucca. There was a time when Tobe… well, he went away for several years. I've never known what he'd been up to until he came back to Kalaya village. He was already married at that time."

_Why was Tara looking at her like that? So soft and apologetic, as if she regretted telling her? _Pucca looked away.

"Tobe filed for divorce a year after that."

"Oh." It was all she could say.

* * *

Later that night, Pucca was lying in bed tormented with thoughts that should not even affect her_._

_Does Tobe still care for Jing-jing? Is that why, as Tara said, he lets her come and go as she pleases?_

_Why is he so secretive about the time he went away?_

_And what happened to his decision to 'punish' me?_

They had been sleeping together night after night. At first she protested and slept in her own room anyway but when she woke up, she was beside him on his bed. So rather than go through the process of sleeping in her bed only for Tobe to carry her back to his room and face his wrath in the morning, she went to his room every night after everybody else was asleep. If anybody in the household believed there was something going on between Tobe and Pucca every night, they didn't show it.

Well, the funny thing was, _nothing_ was going on. He hadn't made a move on her even though they both knew she was physically well now.

_Does he want someone else?_

Pucca tossed and turned in bed. She wanted to sleep before Tobe comes out of the shower. She tried to ignore the questions bouncing in her head so she could have peace of mind but it was a hopeless cause.

The door to the bathroom opened so Pucca laid still and closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she could see water droplets beading his skin before they would slide down his chiseled form. He would be standing in his boxers rubbing his hair dry with a towel that he draped over his neck.

Then he would crawl on the bed and lay beside her like he always did.

Just then, Pucca felt the mattress dip in his weight as Tobe settled beside her. Pucca could feel the heat emanating from him. Pucca stifled a sigh when she felt him wrap an arm around her waist then nuzzled her hair.

He always did that too but nothing more.

_Why?_ It was another question that rose to torment her.

"Tobe?" She spoke softly like she always felt she was compelled to do when they were in bed. She didn't want to spoil anything when they were like this.

"Pucca?" Even the way he said her name was different. It was low and rough and she always had to suppress the quivering response his sexy drawl evoked.

They talked about the little things that came on their minds like they often did.

It was as if they were different people during the night. Where the garish light of day irradiated their incomprehensible relationship and made them awkward and distant in each other's company, the moonlight temporarily lent the atmosphere a surreal quality that let them pretend for a moment that things between them was as easy and natural as breathing.

"Tara mentioned you train your men how to fight," Pucca mentioned drowsily.

"Yeah?"

"They're very good." Pucca's lips stretched in a small self-effacing grin but Tobe merely grunted. "Your sister told me your skills are famous through out the region. I don't know whether that's true or that she was biased because she adores you." she teased.

"Tara is prone to exaggeration and drama," he drawled. "But there are a number of companies who would all too eagerly approve of my demands so my men would work for them." Pucca smiled inwardly at his arrogant tone.

"Oh yeah? Prove it," Pucca challenged mischievously. "Why not teach me to fight then so I could judge for myself?"

Pucca felt Tobe go rigid behind her. "No."

Pucca stilled. It was amazing how one word uttered with contempt could reduce her to a cold shell.

She turned around. He looked guarded and wary. She realized that after all this time, he still couldn't trust her. Disappointment, sharp and bitter, overwhelmed her. "Why not?" Her voice shook.

He sat up and looked away from her. "You know why not."

Pucca sat up too and stared at him, quelling the hurt his words caused. She didn't really care whether he taught her or not. But she wanted to know what he was thinking underneath his cold, dark eyes. And right then, his silence wounded her.

At times like this, she felt the extent of the power he held over her. The first time she felt it was when she was bruised, beaten and helplessly immobile in his basement. But now, it was less about his physical dominance and more about how a few of his chosen words could produce lancing pain through her.

"Tell me," she commanded. The strength in her voice did not match how she felt inside. "What do you think I'd do to you? To Jian? To Lori? To Tara?"

He didn't answer. His head was turned away from her and she wished she knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

She laid back down in bed, her back facing him. She grumbled, "Forget what I said Tobe. It was just a stupid suggestion."

She felt him lie back down on his pillow but he made no move to get closer to her.

Pucca felt cold and even with just a few inches away from him, she felt very alone.

She closed her eyes, waiting desperately for the deep abyss sleep could give her.

* * *

Pucca needed another dose of coffee. It was just that she was too tired and too lazy to get up from her seat and make another pot. She looked at her empty mug disdainfully, half-wishing it would magically refill.

It had been a long time before she slept. And at that time, she was also painfully aware of Tobe's every movement. Apparently, he had a hard time sleeping too.

"Hey." Jian snapped his fingers repeatedly in front of her face. When she turned to glare at him, he tossed her an apple. "Eat it." Pucca fumbled to catch it. Her reflexes were shot since she seemed to be still half-asleep. "It's healthier than coffee and a better way to start the morning."

Pucca grunted, "What is it with doctors and apples?"

Jian winked at her before walking away humming a lively tune, probably to irritate the rest of the household with his brand of cheeriness.

_What's he so happy about?_

"Morning people." Pucca grumbled before taking a bite at the fruit.

After some time was spent on munching on what was left of the apple, she thought she was provided enough energy to go to the kitchen to brew a cappuccino.

She was at the door when she saw Tobe pouring himself a cup of coffee from a fresh pot. She was tempted to just turn around and leave but decided against it.

_I wasn't the one being offensive, he was. He should be the one doing the avoiding or even better, trying to apologize for his terrible behavior last night._

The idea of him cowering from an argument or apologizing for his actions to her seemed implausible seeing as he believed his actions to be justified. Nevertheless, she was no coward either.

Pucca set her chin stubbornly and walked towards the pot of coffee beside him. She picked it up and poured its contents in her mug. She added her preferred amount of milk and sugar, all the while studiously avoiding any form of contact with him.

She was about to turn and go back to her table and drink her coffee in peace when he called her name. She haughtily glanced at him from over her shoulder waiting for him to continue.

"Come find me when you finish your coffee," he ordered, his voice aloof, "I'll teach you what you have to know. But we'll do this _my _way."

Pucca blinked torpidly in surprise. She silently nodded in acknowledgement then walked away, hiding a giddy smile. As she was leaving, she heard him drone, "This is gonna be fun."

Moments later, Pucca saw him in the front yard taking out some kick pads and other tools from a bag.

"I'm ready," Pucca declared.

Tobe glanced at her with a bored expression. "Not quite," he said.

He walked towards her, prowled was most likely, she stood her ground despite his unnerving stare. He stopped in front of her.

He seemed to be evaluating her appearance as he looked her up and down, taking in her clothes. She was wearing a red shirtdress and black leggings, the ones he bought her.

He reached a hand and cupped the back of her head. Pucca could only gape at him, her eyes alight with curiosity and anticipation. Her heart was drumming in her chest when he pulled at the ribbon holding her hair in a tight ponytail.

"What are you—" she started but he held her ribbon between them and snapped it in half. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Turn around," he ordered.

"Why'd you do that?" Pucca ignored him, still fixated on her ribbon.

Impatiently, Tobe walked around her until he was behind her. Pucca was about to turn to face him when his fingers combed the silky strands of her hair. "Stay still."

She subdued.

The fingers sensuously caressing her skull sent her nerves humming with pleasure. She stood rigid yet oddly, her body seemed to be relaxing against her will from his ministrations.

"There," he said then stepped back. She turned round to face him as she felt her hair. He styled it with two buns on top of her head. "Now, you look like you're ready for anything." He grinned at her. His eyes were so warm and tender that Pucca's heart lurched in her chest.

"So what now?" she asked brightly, masking the indefinable emotion constricting her throat.

"Do some warm-ups."

After ten minutes of light activity, she had already broken a sweat.

"Let's do some stretching. I'll assist you." He held out his hand to her. Pucca hesitantly placed her much smaller hands on his.

"Bend over," he ordered already placing a hand over the small of her back.

"Excuse me?!" She resisted. Pucca tugged on her hand but Tobe held it firmly.

"I said I'll assist you, didn't I? So just do as I say. This is for your benefit anyway."

Pucca grumbled but complied. Tobe placed a hand over her back and gradually pushed her arm up, letting her muscles adjust. After some time, he repeated the process with her other arm.

"Now, stretch up your arms and bend your body to your left." Pucca did just that but she stiffened when she felt him trail a hand up her ribcage before holding her by the shoulder to bend her down. "Relax, Pucca," he seemed to purr her name. "Now count to thirty."

She almost stumbled with her arithmetic, distracted by the heat of his other hand on her waist. And after repeating the process on her right side, she felt a bit breathless. And not from the exercise itself.

"Now lie back on the mat. Good." He was hovering her. "Lift up your foot. That's right…" He kneeled in front of her and caught her leg. He placed her foot on his shoulder before slowly bending his body, along with her leg, towards her.

This little game he was playing on her went on for some time. Pucca tried to act as casual as she could during their exercise. She ignored the way her skin tingled when his hands lingered on her, ignored the way his face always seemed to get too close to hers, ignored the way his low and breathy voice counted softly a few inches from her ears.

She didn't know why he was doing it. Maybe he was extracting his own brand of punishment from last night. She believed she didn't do anything that night to deserve punishment but it must be. This was just… sweet torture.

She thought that after they've moved on from their stretching exercises to basic martial arts techniques, he would lighten up. But things only got more… touchy. After two hours of being subjected to his… unique method of teaching, she was done.

"Don't move," Pucca froze in place as Tobe evaluated her position. She had her leg high up in the air in a side kick.

Tobe reached out and held her by the ankle. "This needs to be straighter." He swept his other hand from her calf, to the back of her knee then the back of her thigh, putting pressure to properly set her position. The hot current of desire that rushed through her veins shocked her, making her wobble in place. "A bit of pressure and you lose your balance. If you had the proper stance, your position would be sounder."

He let her go of her leg. "Now go back to your basic position." Pucca did the horse stance, spreading her legs widely and slightly bending her knees. "Keep your back as straight as possible and your knees bent," Pucca heard him remind her from behind. Then in a low voice, he murmured in her ear, "Didn't I tell you to make sure that you position their legs slightly wider than your shoulder width? And you should push your chest out and keep your hips forward."

Pucca suppressed a shudder when he placed his hands low on her hips and adjusted her position. Tobe tugged her towards him and pulled her shoulders back, pushing her chest out. He linked a leg with hers and dragged it to one side.

"Again. This time, mind your stances. Footwork is one of the most underrated skills you must possess in order to effectively execute your defenses and attacks. You may have the strength to take on two men, but you don't have the skills to defend yourself."

Tobe's casual voice contrasted to the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

That devil knew what he was doing to her!

Pucca swallowed and straightened, feeling hot and bothered. "Tobe, I'm done. I don't know how your men put up with you throughout their training," she muttered sarcastically.

He raised a brow at her, as looking at her all innocent and confused. So Pucca looked at him with a _Yeah right_ expression on her face.

"Pucca! Master Tobe!" They turned to see Lori calling them from the door. "You've been out in the sun for too long. Come inside for a while. I made _otap_ biscuits and lemonade."

"Go on," Tobe told her, "I'll just pick up our things."

Pucca stepped inside the welcome shade of the porch. When she walked inside the house, she felt an elbow nudge her.

Pucca looked at up and saw a playful grin on Jian's lips and the naughty glint in his eyes. "Enjoy your training?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Pucca felt her cheeks burn when she realized he had seen them.

Not knowing how to answer, she chose to ignore his question. "Where's Lori with the refreshments? It's hot out there."

"I agree. " Jian smiled slyly before bending down to whisper in her ear, "I could've sworn I felt the heat from here." He ruffled her hair and turned to go. "Tell Tobe we'll be at the dining room."

She choked and stared wide-eyed at his retreating back.

When Tobe reached her, she mumbled that they were waiting for them in the dining room.

"So, let's go," Tobe declared, settling a hand on the small of her back as they walked together. Pucca wondered if Tobe even noticed how pink she had been ever since she walked into the front yard and had yet to return to her usual coloring.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Pucca and Tobe had come a long way, haven't they? Just a little fluff before we go into something heavier.**

**This chapter's really long so I cut it into two. The other half would be read next chapter that's why this one seems to end abruptly. The good news is that I might be able to update in a matter of days, not weeks... hopefully.**

**Oh, yeah and thank you for your suggestions, I'll consider putting it in later chapters. Just PM me or type a review if you have anymore ideas:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: Posting in a matter of days? Who am I kidding? God, I'm awful, I know. I just couldn't find the inspiration to write a good chapter. Well, I hope this one's decent enough for you.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 8**

After consuming Lori's homemade biscuits and ice-cold lemonade, everybody else had gone to do their thing. Tobe was in his study doing paperwork, Lori was busy cooking lunch, Tara was playing some board game with Jian in her room.

Pucca was on the front porch lying on the bench.

There was nothing for her to do. Lori wanted to surprise them for lunch so she would usher Pucca out of the kitchen. Pucca also didn't feel like going to Tara's room. Although, Tara was opening up more and more, sometimes she was going to have one of her moods and spend most of her time in her darkened bedroom. Jian didn't seem to mind when he couldn't coax her out, rather, he would accompany her inside to spend time with her.

"That kid's got her own world, sometimes." Jian had told Pucca. "So I thought I'll be right beside her so she could share it with me."

She couldn't very well intrude on them now, could she?

Now that Tobe wasn't paying her attention, Pucca thought she could do some exploring outside. She had already explored the house's interior. Gleaming mahogany furniture and the landscape paintings in heavy frames gracing the creamy white walls gave the rooms and hallways an atmosphere of comfort and luxury.

There was plenty to look at inside the house but she had something else in mind.

"The ninja's bunkhouse," she whispered to herself.

She didn't know where it was and remembering how she and Tobe fought about it, she kept her mouth shut and didn't ask him.

The others were no help either. She didn't want to involve Tara because it greatly troubled her and she was the one who ordered the men out of her sight. Lori would let slip that Pucca was planning on looking for it since the former couldn't keep secrets that she though t were no big deal. Pucca knew Jian wouldn't say anything that would get her into trouble with Tobe, but when his answers were unhelpful she realized Tobe asked him not to say anything.

Pucca knew the ninjas were ordered to patrol the house but she'd never seen them. _Maybe they were given instructions to be stealthy in doing so, _Pucca reasoned lamely. In that context, they were good. Too good.

_It's like they weren't even there._

She thought about looking for them on her own but most of the time she forgot all about her plan to investigate what happened to her. Lately, it became so easy not to worry about her situation and be content to stay with her friends.

She spent most of her days with Tobe so she couldn't very well ask him where his ninjas were when it did cross her mind. She remembered their fight and what happened after. She blushed profusely. Her skin had been alternating from her usual fair complexion to a painful red blush whenever they were together, something that became very often.

At first, they would usually just bump into each other and end up doing the same activities together. Like during the time he was away, it became her habit to swim every morning. So when he came back, he would join her while he did his morning exercise. _Tara wasn't kidding, he really did fifty laps._

But there times when they just… gravitate towards each other. Like if Pucca was just doing some random thing, he'd be right next to her asking what she was up to. Or if Tobe was in the living room reading some documents, Pucca would pull out a book and read beside him. Sometimes they talked or bicker. But most of the time they just spend in comfortable silence.

She didn't want to like him.

_But she did._

Pucca scoffed in disdain.

He made her feel like a gauche schoolgirl but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to argue with him, fight with him even for the smallest things, but that was because she was fighting herself and wanted to push him away. She didn't want any feelings developing into something more than it should be.

Pucca shook her head, sighing as she tore herself away from her trance. Now was the time to find out straight from those ninjas what happened to her.

_What about what Tobe said?_ _He had just shown me a little trust. Wouldn't he be angry and suspicious if he finds out? _A voice sounded guiltily.

The only thing Tobe would find out was that she didn't plan on doing anything wrong. Pucca would prove that by apologizing to his men because that was the right thing to do. Then he'd realize his trust issues with her were misguided.

She pushed away any niggling doubts she had.

She got up from the bench and looked around to make sure no one could see. Then she dashed to the forest only stopping when she knew she'd be out of sight. Pucca looked around, familiarizing herself with her environment and making sure she knew the way back.

Pucca walked through the dense forest, keeping herself calm and alert for any signs of activity. But all she heard was birds chirping and the breeze rustling the leaves.

She was surprised to find out that she had a keen sense of knowing what was happening around her. Her eyes were sharp, her hearing, sensitive. And her skin seemed to prickle when she there was movement that was out of her line of sight.

Pucca walked for what it seemed like several minutes or maybe even hours. She lost any resemblance of time. The thick canopy of leaves and branches made it hard for her to see the sun. It was getting dark and she knew she had to go back.

"I guess I have to do this another day, then," Pucca mumbled to herself dejectedly.

But a few minutes on her way back, she stopped in her tracks. She had an eerie feeling that she was being watched. She stopped and listened but all she heard was the leaves rustling around her. She couldn't tell if it was because of the wind, a woodland creature or something else.

"Hey!" Pucca called out. "I know you're there."

She waited but there was nothing.

"You can come out. I'm not going to—" Pucca yelped when a stab of pain erupted at the back of her neck. Her hand reached out and felt her nape. A cylindrical object was sticking out. She pulled it out and a cold dread filled her when she realized it was a dart of some kind.

On her guard, Pucca turned to see where it came from. Coincidentally, she was just in time to dodge another dart that headed her way.

Wasting no time, Pucca ran. Whoever shot her was now chasing after her. She could feel and hear her pursuer gaining after her. She knew she had to get back to the house but she was too far away. And after a few minutes, she felt dizzy and out of breath. She was feeling really tired and her body wasn't coordinated. Pucca knew she was hopelessly drugged but she had to get away.

She tripped and fell to the damp ground, cushioned by dead leaves and twigs. For the life of her, she couldn't get up. Her limbs felt so heavy and tired.

Her eye sight dimmed and the last thing she saw before darkness took over were black boots walking slowly towards her.

0o0o0o

Pucca felt like she was floating in a deep dark void. But someone was pulling her out, making her come to. She felt someone forcefully shaking her. She felt groggy and her head hurt.

"Wake up, you bitch!" The man's voice was as rough as his hold on her. He was in front of her as she sat up. One of his hands was holding up her limp body by the collar and the other hand was slapping her on the cheek. "Hey, hey! Open your eyes."

Her weary eyes blinked open but she couldn't see properly. The world was a blur. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious. Seconds, minutes, hours or days, she didn't know.

"Where are they, you little bitch?!" The voice asked again. "Where'd you hide them?" He held her roughly by the jaw.

Pucca just groaned. Her eyes were starting to adjust. The blurry silhouette in front of her was gradually starting to take form.

A chill of trepidation went through her when she saw him. He was wearing a black ninja suit that covered everything but his eyes.

_Those eyes._

She'd seen those cold, cruel eyes in her dreams. In her dreams, he was a dark formless shadow.

"I know you have them. Where?"

In the far off distance, she heard someone calling her name.

"_Fuck!" _the man cursed. "Don't count yourself lucky next time." He let her go and she fell back to the ground.

"Pucca!" someone called out again. "Where are you?"

She wanted to call out for help but she couldn't. Her tongue felt thick and the deep void was pulling her back. And soon after, everything was dark again.

0o0o0o

"Pucca?"

Pucca groaned, her throbbing head shifted from side to side. She blinked open her eyes, letting them adjust from the glaring fluorescent light.

"Pucca?" She turned and saw Jian's concerned gaze.

She was back in her room. She was lying on her bed while Jian was sitting on a chair beside her.

"W-what happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. You've been missing for hours. We were looking for you when Tobe found you lying on the ground unconscious."

"How long have I been out?"

"I have no idea. But after we found you, you've been out for eight hours. But you did have a few moments of lucidity."

Pucca swallowed back the emotion clogging her throat.

"Hey…" Jian said soothingly, "You don't need to think about all of this right now."

"Where's Tobe?" she asked suddenly feeling more anxious.

Jian flinched, "Outside. We finally convinced him to get some rest. He'd been here almost as long as you have."

Pucca didn't know how to make of that so she kept silent.

"You're in a better shape than him. We were all worried but Tobe was… distraught. "

"I have a feeling the more distraught he is now, the more furious he would be after he knows I'm alright now," Pucca deducted in a flat voice.

Jian sighed. "Well, I told him he could see you in the morning. You can work out what you're going to tell him until then."

Pucca could picture him yelling his head off the moment she said the wrong thing. But right now, Pucca remembered during her drugged but lucid moments, it was Tobe she saw. It was Tobe who called out to her then picked her up and cradled her in his arms. It was Tobe who sat next to her in her bed, stroking her hair, holding her hand…

"Do Tara and Lori—"

Jian shook his head. "They have no idea. I think it would be better for it to stay that way. Unless you have a good reason that we should tell them?"

Pucca didn't speak. She had no idea what or why that just happened. "I'll let you know once I catch my breath." _Or the headache and nausea stopped._

Jian nodded. "Alright, I'll let you sleep. We'll work this out in the morning," he said, standing up from the chair and walking towards the door. Then he said over his shoulder, "I'll even act as a buffer between you and Tobe." With that, he closed the door with a click.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Leave some review below. I won't even complain if you chew me out.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I'm back. Bet you thought I abandoned this story, didn't you?**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 9**

Pucca blinked her eyes open. It was early morning and the sunlight was filtering through her eyelids. Her eyes wandered around her room, wondering what woke her up.

A knock sounded on her door. "Pucca?" a voice called out.

She pushed aside blanket and looked down at herself to see if she was decent. She was wearing a clean white shirt and shorts. Someone must've changed her clothes again when she was unconscious. Somehow, she wasn't as upset as she had been the first time this happened. She knew it was Lori who changed her.

"Come in," Pucca replied, pushing herself upright and leaning on the headboard.

The door opened to reveal Lori, along with Jian, carrying a tray of food. "Good morning!" Lori greeted cheerfully. "I brought you your breakfast. Jian said you weren't feeling very well after last night. I trust you're feeling better after your rest?" Lori asked, looking concerned.

"Um, yeah…" Pucca replied awkwardly, finding it hard to look at Lori's trusting worn face. "Thank you."

Jian took the tray from Lori and whispered something to her that Pucca didn't catch. Lori nodded and after excusing herself to Pucca, exited out the room.

Pucca eyed him curiously. He looked impeccable and composed as ever in his crisp navy blue polo, black jeans and slick black hair. But the tension in his lanky frame told her differently.

Jian sat on her bed and placed the tray in front of her. "Have something to eat. It'll make you feel better."

"Thanks," she mumbled. She didn't really feel hungry as she eyed the stack of pancakes, dripping with syrup and the glass of orange juice. But she picked up her knife and fork anyway.

Pucca ate silently, all the while, avoiding Jian's curious brown eyes. She kept eating. If her mouth was busy masticating, maybe he won't expect her to keep talking.

"You know, it would be easier to for you if you tell me first what happened, right?"

_No such luck._

Pucca sighed. She didn't need to ask what he was talking about.

She knew she should tell someone what happened but she found that her shock had barely worn off yet. It was hard to grasp what just happened, let alone articulate it.

"I-I think I was drugged," Pucca stammered.

Jian didn't look surprised, "I gathered that much. Tobe had first told me his suspicions and I agreed with him after I checked up on you."

Pucca lifted the tray from her lap and placed it on her bedside table. She lost her appetite anyway.

"Someone shot me with a dart. I-I think it was one of Tobe's men." Pucca's eyes closed at the memory of a ninja donned in black shaking her and slapping her awake.

_Where are they, you little bitch?! Where'd you hide them?" _

His dark brows furrowed in confusion. "I think you should start at the beginning…"

Pucca told him about going to the forest with the intention of finding the bunkhouse. Then she told him everything that happened after that. Jian was quiet the entire time, letting her finish her story.

"I don't profess to know what the hell is going on but I'm pretty sure these are all connected with your plan to go here in the first place," he concluded after she was finished talking. "Have you remembered _anything_ at all that could shed some light about that?" He looked at her hopefully.

Pucca's heart plummeted as she shook her head.

"Wait, right here," he said getting up. "I asked Lori to tell Tobe to give us time to talk before he barges in. I'll go get him and tell him everything you told me so he'll have a grasp of what we're dealing with. Then we'll come back here and sort this all out, alright? You just continue your breakfast."

"No, I—," She bit her lip. "I'll come with you." She slid down the bed and walked towards Jian. She knew he was just very protective in nature and always had the best intentions but she didn't need him to cushion the blow. She wasn't a coward to hide behind others from the consequences of her actions.

Jian looked at her worriedly. "Are you sure? I'm not at all sure how Tobe would react when he sees you. He was clearly very upset last night but I don't know if that spells good news or bad news for you right now. You still need your rest and I don't want you two having one of your heated rows."

She didn't know what was going on through Tobe's mind and she didn't know if she'd still be unscathed after facing him. But right now, she wasn't thinking about that. At that moment, she just wanted to see him and explain what happened. Hopefully, he was going to forgive her. "I'm going."

Tobe was in the library and when they strolled inside, she saw him standing by the window. His hands were thrust in his pockets and he had his back to them.

Jian closed the door behind them audibly but Tobe didn't even turn to acknowledge them.

"Tobe," Jian called out but received no reply. He continued anyway. "Pucca's with me."

Still no reply.

_It's worse than I thought, _Pucca thought anxiously.

The tension radiated off him like waves but he remained motionless. It was as if a little push would send him over the edge and he was fighting for control by a thread.

Something cold and heavy seemed to drop at the pit off her stomach. Pucca shivered.

_But after being upset about my welfare last night, he wouldn't just kill me right? Right?_

"I would think that," Tobe's voice startled her from her trance-like state. She looked up at him and saw that he was still staring out the window, his back to them, "you would be more sensible and avoid me for the time being," he continued threateningly.

Pucca's breath hitched on her throat but she willed her voice to sound composed. "You should know me better than that."

He laughed darkly. There was no trace of humor in the sound. "I don't know you at all."

Hurt lanced through her chest. "Yes, you do…" her voice trailed off. _Haven't we been spending so much time together for weeks? How about during the nights when you hold me in your arms and we just talk? _

Pucca strode over to him, her steps shaky but determined. She stopped a few feet behind him. "One mistake and you're back to thinking the worst of me again? How about all these weeks we shared? Don't they mean anything to you?"

"I never trusted you that much in the first place." Tobe took out a hand from his pocket and leaned them on the windowframe. He was still staring out the window, at the stretch of forest just outside. "But you know that already."

Tobe was obviously trying to pick a fight and Pucca wasn't one to back down from one. She knew she should ignore the pain in her chest and say some stinging retort, but when she opened her mouth, all that escaped her was a hurt gasp, "Tobe… " Damn him for making her feel this way! "So you think I'm still planning something behind your back?! What is it? You think I drugged myself for some sort of plan? That's stupid!"

"Jian," Tobe called over his shoulder. Jian had been silently watching the exchange, a curious glimmer in his eyes. "Leave. I wish to talk to this woman alone," he said harshly.

_This woman?_ "I have a name," Pucca retorted. _Oh, that's right. I didn't have one until Tobe named me. Now he's taking it back? _She felt her chest hollow. _Damn him. Just… damn him!_

"Tobe, Pucca's still recovering. I'm here to make sure you don't cause her unnecessary stress," Jian said calmly.

"I said get out."

"No." Jian crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Now." Pucca saw Tobe clench his fist, his knuckles white with tension.

"No." Jian refused to budge.

Pucca turned to face Jian. "Jian, you should go," she told him apologetically. "I can take care of myself." The last thing she wanted was for the two friends to fight because of her.

"But Pucca…"Jian started, his eyes concerned. "Maybe we should do this another time, when you're ready. You should take it easy for now. Let me deal with Tobe."

"No, I'll deal with Tobe. I- I'm ready. I can handle him," she said uneasily. The object of their conversation scoffed sardonically.

Jian sighed and shook his head. "Pucca, you lie horribly." Pucca turned beet red. "But I'll do as you say because I now have a feeling you two wish to discuss private matters you do not wish me to hear."

"Took you long enough," Tobe gritted out.

Jian rolled his eyes. "If you two need me, I'll be checking on Tara in her room. But I'll be right back soon after."

Pucca's eyes followed Jian a tad enviously since he got out before Tobe showed his true feelings. Unlike her. She could swear that the temperature dropped the moment the door clicked shut.

Pucca turned to look at Tobe. He was already facing her. His face was shadowed but there was a wild, dangerous glitter in his eyes that made her involuntarily step back.

"Scared, Pucca?" Tobe asked, his voice low and ominous.

Irked at the question, Pucca narrowed her eyes angrily at him. "Definitely not."

Tobe stalked slowly towards her. She held her breath as she waited for him. Only… he kept going until he walked passed her. She whirled around to see him sit on the brown leather couch behind her.

"Good. Then you won't mind if you sit beside me." He said as he patted on the space beside him. The dangerous atmosphere surrounding him didn't fade one bit. There was a challenging, almost suggestive tone to his voice. He was deliberately trying to unnerve her. So yes, she did mind being so near him. Though, she'd sprout an extra limb before she'd tell him that.

She sat at the farthest end of the couch, away from him. Fortunately, he didn't comment, only stared at her with a shadowed expression. When he didn't speak right away, she realized he was waiting for her to speak.

"Tobe… I can explain why I was out there," she started though his expression didn't change. "I- I wanted to speak to them about what happened. Though I know you realized that much, I also planned to apologize for what happened. I know they were only doing their jobs so whatever I was thinking back then, no matter how I looked at it, I was wrong.

"I tried to find them, but I couldn't. I was deep in the woods when I felt someone following me. I called out to whoever it was but then they shot at me. I just ran and ran, I didn't know where I was going anymore. I was getting dizzy and my vision was getting blurry. I realize now that I was drugged." Pucca swallowed. She debated if she should tell him more. About the black-suited ninja who was trying to find something from her. "I passed out and that was when you found me." _Well, if he doesn't trust me and still consider me a threat, how can I trust him in return? I should keep some secrets to myself._

"Tobe, I believe your ninjas did this to me, or perhaps just one of them. Maybe, they hate me for what I did. That's why…"

"It's not them," he responded bluntly.

It irked her that he was willing to defend his men despite evidences against them but he was so ready to accuse her of being guilty. "How could you be so sure? Who else could it be?"

"Because they're not even here."

She stilled. "What do you mean?"

"Have you seen them anywhere?" he asked her condescendingly.

"Well, no… but I thought that… we're not supposed to see them or something. I thought it was a… a ninja thing to be stealthy and invisible to your enemies," she was feeling more and more like an idiot with each word that came out of her mouth. No doubt that was his intention. "And I thought they had to keep a low profile because Tara would feel distraught to see them."

"Well obviously, they were supposed to protect the residents of this house so they should not consider us enemies. Even if they had to keep a low profile, you should've been able to see them sometime because they'd be patrolling just around the house. And concerning Tara… if she was really distraught, don't you think she'd still be hiding in her room instead of gallivanting outside? It would take more than your coaxing to get her out of there if she believed my men were out to harm her. Something I still don't believe, anyway. They won't dare antagonize me."

Pucca frowned. "You mean Tara knew the ninjas were gone?" She wanted to smack her forehead at her foolishness. She should've asked Tara or someone else about it. Ater Jian first avoided telling her the bunkhouse's location, she thought she it was pointless to ask again. Furthermore, she thought it would be inconsiderate of her to ask Tara about it that's why Pucca never brought the subject up. Maybe she should've asked Lori... Nah. Lori would blab about it to the whole household.

"Yes." His lips barely moved as if he was more focused on piercing her with his gaze.

"B-but how? And where have your ninjas gone?"

"The morning before I left for the city, I left a note for Tara indicating I had left and had taken my men with me. They were too weak to do their job properly here anyway so I told them to convalesce back in their homes."

They were silent for a moment, with Pucca thinking and Tobe just waiting for her to speak again.

"Then what do you think happened?" she asked.

"You tell me," Tobe responded darkly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pucca replied heatedly. "You think I'm responsible for all of this?"

He leaned his elbows on his knees and looked at the intricate patterns on the carpet. "When I found you lying there on the ground I—," he seemed to choke then he cleared his throat. "I saw you clutching a dart. I thought it looked familiar and I had Jian examine what kind of drug was used. Jian said it was a complex combination of certain types of substances that when administered, the chemistry could cause different results ranging from simple nausea to hallucinations, unconsciousness even death. Although, the dose should be proportional to one's body to get the desired effect."

"So what are you saying?" Pucca asked her head spinning from trying to catch up to his words.

"If that person's intention was really for you to fall unconscious, then that means, he already had you tested before to get the right dose. Any mistake on that dose and you would have died." Tobe gritted his teeth. "He must already know you from before."

Pucca's breath hitched in her throat. "I- I don't know what to say." Suspicion was alight in his eyes but she didn't understand how he could still doubt her when _she_ was the one attacked. "But maybe they screwed up. I wasn't supposed to pass out."

"That special mixture is only used by a certain clan of ninjas. The Silent Ninja Clan," he told her distastefully. "Ever heard about that?"

"No… should I?" Pucca didn't understand why that particular clan should hold meaning to him or her.

"No, just asking." There was something in his tone that made her believe that maybe she _should _know. What isn't he telling her? "There's a special process on how to create this drug. And only high ranking members of the clan know about it. They're the only ones who who use this complicated method because they _don't _screw up."

_Some ninja elite is out to get her? _"Nonetheless, why would you still think I'm responsible for any of this when it's obvious someone's trying to harm me?"

"_Did_ he harm you? Before I got to you, I saw a black clad ninja running away from your direction." Pucca gulped at the controlled anger in his voice. "Why didn't you say anything about that when you told me what happened? Are you trying to protect this person?"

"Of course not. I just—" Hell! She should've just told him. Now she seemed more guilty in his eyes. "I just thought that- Well if you don't tell me everything you know, why should I?!" she retorted.

Pucca met his intense scrutiny head on, letting him see for himself that she wasn't lying.

Sighing resignedly, Tobe finally looked away from her. "Still, I don't believe I can trust you. Just know that I'm watching you. Whatever your plan is, before or after your convenient memory loss, I won't let you get away with it." His eyes narrowed at her suspiciously.

Something inside her seemed to explode at his words. "Damn you T-Tobe!" Her voice was shaking from her anger. "No matter what I do, it still won't be good enough for you. I make friends with everyone here, I try to get close to you. I even face this 'punishment' of having me sleep with you!" A salty knot of emotion clogged her throat. "I know the circumstances of me being here are vague. I can't remember them and you don't understand them. But… but I never gave you a reason to treat me like this. W-what did I ever do to you?"

Tobe was silent. If her vision wasn't clouded with tears, she would have seen the flash of emotion in his eyes. The softness in his gaze before he visibly hardened them.

"I made a mistake of trying to find your ninjas and now you think I'm a serial killer or something close to it. You keep waiting for me to mess up. Waiting for something that would justify your actions of treating me like crap." With her last words, Pucca broke down and cried. She curled on the couch, covering her face with her hands. "Why, Tobe? Why do you hate me so much?"

Before he could answer, Pucca dashed away her tears and stood up from the couch. She walked hurriedly to the door not giving him a backward glance.

Tobe stood up and hurried to catch up with her. "You can't say that then walk away. We're not done talking."

She had just opened the door when he closed it again. He caught her by the elbow and turned her around to face him. Pucca flung his hand away, tears still streaming down her eyes. "Well, _I'm _done, Tobe. With everything. I-I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving. I couldn't do whatever it was I was planning to do before my amnesia anyway s-so you must be relieved. My memory loss is-is no longer your concern." Her breathing was ragged and she was hiccupping. "Goodbye."

Something in his eyes flashed at the word and he caught the back of her neck and pulled her to him. He pressed her head to his chest and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "You're not leaving me."

Shocked, Pucca just stood there listening to his erratic heartbeat. Despite herself, she closed her eyes and clung to him, her tears wetting the front of his shirt.

"Pucca… I never thought we'd end up like this. Just hurting each other." Tobe whispered against her hair. She didn't understand what he was talking about but she allowed him to press her closer to his body. "I don't know if I could trust you. And I can't trust myself around you. All I know is that if I let you hurt anyone else around here, I would never forgive myself. Or you."

"Argh! Tobe, you, you're an assh—" She tried to pry herself away from him but he pushed her back against the door, effectively trapping her.

She looked up at him to see the heat in his eyes. Shadows of pain, anger and desire blended in his eyes making them impossibly dark.

"For too long you've been clawing at my mind. I hate you so much for it, I can't stand it! What makes _you_ so special from all the other women I know? What is it about you that gets under my skin so much?" He growled. Pucca almost screamed when his hand suddenly circled her neck as if wishing he could strangle her. But his thumb gently brushed a circular pattern against her throat making her shiver. "And in spite of that, I can't just get rid of you. Because god! I want you here with me. You can't leave me!"

With that, he cupped her jaw and brought his lips crashing down on hers. It was a punishing kiss, meant to cause her pain rather than pleasure. She tried pushing at his chest but it was as effective as pushing at a brick wall. She tried hitting his back and pulling at his hair but it only seemed to excite him more.

_No, Tobe. Not like this…_

Pucca kept thrashing for several minutes until she had no strength left. She dropped her hands limply at her sides and let him continue bruising her lips.

It was only when the salty taste of tears touched their joined lips that he stopped and pulled away.

She didn't even notice she was crying again. Or did she even stop?

Tobe looked at her with self-loathing in his gaze. He seemed to be mentally beating himself up. She should be glad, or at least feel a modicum of satisfaction that he was feeling guilty and hating himself at the moment. But she didn't.

"Tobe please don't…" She wrapped her arms around his neck before he could get away. She was crazy for doing this yet she couldn't stand the thought of him hurting. Why was that?

Tobe placed his hands on her waist and looked down at her. His eyes had a regretful, questioning look in them so without even asking out loud, Pucca answered him with a gentle kiss on the lips.

This time, when he moved his lips against hers, it was in a slow and sweet rhythm. His tongue swept against her bruised lips soothingly and she felt something within her chest break in the most exquisite way.

The hands that were placed on her waist slid around her to wrap her tightly, her soft body molding against the hard contours of his.

She slid her fingers through his hair and rose higher to deepen the kiss. Her tongue shyly sought entry between the seam of his lips. He groaned as he granted her request. Their tongues mated and danced sending answering fire coursing between them.

For several moments they just stayed that way. Not wanting the moment to end yet hesitating to go further.

"Tobe! Pucca! Everything alright in there?"

It was Jian. He came back like he said he would.

Tobe broke the kiss but didn't answer back. Shared frustration was evident on their faces.

"Pucca, "he said breathing hard, "it would be easier to hate you if you just hate be back."

Pucca looked up at him with her cheeks flushed red, her lips swollen and her chest rising and falling from her ragged breathing. "Who said I want to make things easier for you," she replied sassily.

His lips twitched in a semblance of a smile before he let her go.

"Tobe!" Jian called again. "You two better not be fighting."

Pucca stepped to the side to let Tobe through. He grasped the doorknob but paused for a moment. His head dropped to his chest and his shoulders slumped. Pucca couldn't see his face since she was behind him. But he seemed...

Before Pucca could think of an appropriate description he went through the door and closed it behind him.

Pucca stood there wishing that he had just yelled her head off like she expected him to. This was definitely not what she had anticipated her morning to turn out.

0o0o0o

**Author's Notes: Ahh… love-hate relationships. So angsty, don't you think? Anyway, sorry for taking so long to update. I've been neglecting this story for months but I still hope I did this chapter some justice. Thank you for inspiring me to write again with your reviews :) **


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Now… it's time to start complicate matters even more. Get ready.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 10**

Pucca was leaning over the balustrade of the balcony to her room, watching the dying rays of the sun glance across the viridescent treetops, burnishing them with a golden hue. She had her hair flowing freely down her back, catching the sunlight with each subtle movement from the breeze.

She was silent as she immersed herself deep in her thoughts.

Days had passed since the morning of Pucca and Tobe's stormy encounter and ever since that time, Pucca couldn't get a hold of what she was feeling.

What had she done?

For a moment, the enormity of her situation regarding Tobe threatened to overwhelm her, and she buried her face in her hands. She felt as though she was in free fall after jumping out of a plane without a parachute.

After realizing that someone wanted to harm her, she feared the truth buried deep in her mind. What did she know? And if she did find that out, how could she guarantee to give Tobe the answers he needed?

But those issues were secondary next to the one issue where she didn't even know when all her memories would come back. _How can I live with him indefinitely until that time?_ Pucca wondered despairingly.

She had noticed that days were passing with no other clue to recovering her memories. It didn't really surprise her. Her tumultuous feelings and thoughts of Tobe had been occupying her mind, leaving no room for almost anything else.

He both intrigued and terrified her, and it was taking every ounce of her willpower not to reveal either emotion in his presence.

Pucca had been avoiding Tobe at all cost. She felt too raw to deal with him again. She wasn't ready. She was in an emotional rollercoaster. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for it to end. Wait until the thought of seeing him again, talking to him again wouldn't send her heart racing and hurting at the same time.

It was easy to avoid him considering he seemed to be doing his best to stay away from her too.

Pucca had been sleeping in her own room ever since. The first time she did this, she expected him to come to her room and bully her into following his rules or… maybe even just talk to her. Only… he never approached her and she couldn't help the sharp stab of disappointment that went through her.

She couldn't help but remember their exchange the night they first slept together in his room. An irrational part of her felt like he had just broken a promise he made her.

"_Don't go,"_ _she whispered beseechingly in her semiconscious state._

"_I won't."_

The rest of the household seemed to notice that things between Tobe and Pucca were more tense than usual but they took care not to mention any of this in their presence.

Jian kept watching them, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Tara seemed more restless than usual as if itching to ask about it. Lori was none too subtly trying to bring the two of them together so they would patch things up again.

It was better they didn't know the full details about her relationship with Tobe. She highly doubted they could do anything about it anyway.

Pucca sighed.

Just then, Pucca heard a series of knocks on her door. "Come in! It's open," she called out.

She was leaning on the railings when Tara shyly peered inside. "Pucca? Are you alone?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Tara turned towards the direction of her voice and visibly relaxed. "I didn't want to intrude. I thought Tobe would—"Pucca cleared her throat as if it could hide her embarrassment. There had been times when Tobe would join her relaxing by the balcony. Tara must've noticed them some times from the yard.

Tara discerned her unease and let the subject drop. "Never mind. I was just looking for my brother and I also thought to let you know our guests have arrived."

Indeed they had. Pucca saw their horse-drawn carriage from her balcony. "Yeah, I can see them from here."

Tara strolled towards her. She leaned down and looked at Juru stroking their horses' necks. Jing-Jing had a backpack slung over one shoulder as she talked to Jian.

They weren't what Pucca expected, to say the least. Juru was wearing a simple short-sleeved shirt, khakis and boots but he had a daring quality about him, especially with the dark sunglasses perched on his nose.

Jing-Jing too took her off guard. She was wearing basically the same thing as her brother but it did little to disguise her voluptuous physique. She looked right at home in the woods. And something about her stirred inside Pucca. Like an unseen force drawing her to the woman.

"Somehow, I expected both of them to look more… like some haughty, pampered elite," Pucca whispered to herself. Now that she thought about it, they must be pretty experienced to go days weaving through a forest.

"They wouldn't bother coming here if that was the case." Tara glanced at her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I already told you the reasons why those two and I don't get along. Consider it me preparing you. Tell me what you think when you meet them."

"I think I'd do that. But… where _is _your brother? Shouldn't he be welcoming his guests?"

Tara shrugged. "Who knows what he's up to? Oh, there he is!" She pointed downwards.

Pucca looked down to see Tobe strolling out towards the yard.

"Chief," Pucca heard Tobe call out. Pucca automatically turned to look at Jing-Jing, somehow aware that the nickname belonged to the other woman.

Jing-Jing turned to see him before letting out a high-pitched squeal, "Tobe!" She ran to him, not stopping until she slammed against his body. Tobe seemed prepared for the assault since he hardly budged. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Nice to see you too," he said warmly.

Something nasty clawed at Pucca's insides.

"They seem pretty friendly considering they're divorced," Pucca commented flatly. She leaned her elbows on the railings as she did so.

"I actually hardly understand them myself," Tara replied, her eyes still on the ex-couple below. "It's clear Jing-Jing's still in love with my brother but he… he doesn't seem care for her the way she does. I don't think he does but… I don't know. Even after the divorce, I think nothing seemed to change between them," Tara added the last sentence without thinking.

Shocked, Pucca's head jerked towards Tara whose eyes had widened, revealing her regret at her careless words.

So, Pucca thought, she was right in her doubts that their friendship now was strictly platonic.

"I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean the way it sounded. I just— I meant the way they are with each other; the way they treat each other. There just seems something _more. _Oh, I don't know" Tara stammered before taking her hand and looking at her beseechingly. "Darn it! I'm rambling things again that nobody wants to hear."

Not wanting to trouble her friend, she schooled her features to a blank. "No worries. I was actually thinking along that line. It's kind of obvious that there's more to their relationship than cordial ex-spouses."

Tara still looked concerned. "You and Tobe…" Tara trailed off, uncertain how to continue.

"Yes?" Pucca stiffened.

Tara shook her head. "No, never mind. Your feelings for Tobe are none of my business. You're the only one who needs to think about it now," she said softly.

Pucca smiled wryly. Tara didn't want to be too intrusive but Pucca knew that was a passive way of telling her to get her feelings sorted out. No need to tell her what she already knew.

Pucca tightened her hand on Tara's. "Come on, let's go downstairs," she said casually, breezing past Tara's earlier statement as if it had no effect on her.

"Oh, um I- I don't want to—"

"You have to."

She tugged at Tara's hand as she led them to the foyer.

Tobe and Juru were in the middle of the room talking. Jing-Jing was clutching at Tobe's arm. And Jian was leaning on a wall quietly observing the others.

They made their way to the group and several heads turned as they approached.

"Come and meet our guests." Tobe gestured for them to come nearer. "Juru, Jing-Jing, I'd like you to meet Pucca. She's been staying with us for a while."

"Pucca?" Jing-Jing, who hadn't been paying them any attention, snapped her head in Pucca's direction. When she saw her, her eyes widened and her jaw went slack. "Pucca!"

"Huh?" Pucca wondered at the woman's reaction. It was as if she was seeing a ghost. "Have we met?"

The woman blinked torpidly.

"You don't recognize me?"

"Should I?" Pucca narrowed her eyes, hoping against hope that she _did_ know the woman.

Tobe leaned down and whispered something to Jing-Jing's ear. Pucca looked away, getting more and more uncomfortable at the sight of them.

"Jing-Jing, you can't expect everyone to know who you are," Juru reprimanded softly.

Jing-Jing seemed to come out of her trance-like state. "W-well, I'm entitled to it. Anyone who doesn't recognize me must have lived under a rock for a long while." She frowned at her.

Tara said softly, "Jing-Jing was once a model for a fashion magazine and she also did some commercials. But she hadn't been in public for a while so it's understandable if you don't know her."

Jing-Jing sneered. "Do you have anything else to say?"

Tara frowned. "No, but you're free to spit fire or spew venom if you like."

Jing-Jing arched an eyebrow.

Pucca smiled at that. _That's more like it. She's not as timid as before._

"You have to forgive my sister's presumptuousness." Juru made his way towards Pucca stopping a few inches too close for comfort. He took her hand and placed a soft kiss at the back of it. "But never mind them. I would like for you to get to know me more intimately." His voice had dropped an octave. His eyes were peeking at her from the top of his sunglasses.

Pucca could now understand the young woman's unease, especially since Juru's suggestive tone was directed at her.

"Now _you're_ being presumptuous," Pucca replied.

"Not at all. I only wish for us to be friends," he countered but the way his thumb was gently stroking the back of her hand, the area where he kissed it said otherwise.

Pucca clasped his hand and shook it civilly. "Friends. Of course." Juru was surprised enough to let go after she was done.

"Juru, that's enough," Jing-Jing said her tone light and joking. "You shouldn't tease her."

"I was just having some fun." He took a step back then turned and diverted his attention to Tara. "How about you, Tara?"

At the corner of her eye, she saw Tobe move towards them only to be stopped by Jing-Jing who was still clutching his arm.

Tara squirmed beside her, "I'd rather not."

Jian pushed himself away from the wall and strode towards them. He pulled Tara to his side and away from Juru's lascivious stares. "That's enough fun for now. Your rooms have already been prepared. I'm sure you would like to shower and rest."

"Sounds good. Care to show me to my room?" He directed his question at Tara who clutched at Jian's arm.

"There's no need. I can take you." Jian was smiling but Pucca sensed a hard edge in his deceptively languorous voice.

Juru seemed unfazed. "Can you?"

"Of course." Jian smiled again. "Follow me." He turned and walked away. Juru followed suit.

Beside her, Tara sighed in relief.

Tobe turned to Jing-Jing. "You're brother's still an asshole. One more second and I was going to make him bleed. I've been seriously rethinking our deal. I don't mind seeing you but I shouldn't have agreed with you about letting him come here," he gritted out.

"You know why I can't just leave him alone." She looked at him meaningfully. "Besides, he said something about needing to see you about business matters or whatever." She shrugged then adjusted the backpack on her shoulder.

"We don't have any pressing things to deal with right now. _You_ entertain your egotistical brother. You're the only one I wanted to see anyway."

"Aww… you know, despite that angry tone and you insulting my brother, that's almost a sweet thing to say." Jing-Jing batted her eyelashes at him playfully.

"Tsk! Shut up. You know what I mean."

Pucca felt the clawing jealousy that made her burn hot and cold at the same time. She had no right to feel that way. Granted, there was a strong attraction between them but there was never anything more. He was never hers.

Tara moved from her side. "Tobe," she held his hand. "It's just about time for Lori to make dinner. How about we help her? Pucca, me and you."

"Excuse me, but _we_ have plans."Jing-Jing tugged at Tobe's arm.

Pucca watched the mental tug-of-war going between the three.

Tobe squeezed Tara's hand, "I'm sorry Tara. Jing-Jing and I have something to discuss."

Jing-Jing smirked triumphantly.

"Fine."

At Tara's disappointed tone, Tobe leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Tomorrow morning Lori can have a break. I'll prepare breakfast with you. How about it?"

Pucca didn't miss the slight implication that she was out of the picture though no one else seemed to notice.

"Great." Tara seemed more elated.

"If you'll excuse me," Pucca started. "I… have something I need to do. Nice to meet you Jing-Jing."

Three pairs of eyes looked at her oddly.

Pucca turned away, the brittle smile falling off her face.

0o0o0o

"Lori, come on. Let me help." Pucca pouted as she watched Lori add a few spices to a casserole she was cooking.

Lori smiled but shook her head, her silvery white tresses bouncing with each movement. "Why don't you try to get to know Jing-Jing? She's a nice girl although a bit sharp tongued."

_A bit?_

Lori hummed a tune as she stirred her concoction.

Pucca cocked her head as she watched Lori. "Tara doesn't seem to think so."

The older woman shrugged. "Well, Jing-Jing can be a tad overwhelming and the two are not really like each other," Lori perused.

"That's one understatement after another." Pucca thought about Tara's quiet and anxious ways and how she seemed always eager to please people around her. Then she remembered the way Jing-Jing squealed and ran for Tobe, holding on to him like a vice then sneering at everyone else. "Plus they seem to regard each other as a threat to Tobe's affection, or something like that."

"Jing-Jing's a threat, huh." Pucca didn't like the perceptive glint in the woman's eyes. "How about you? What do you think of Jing-Jing?" Lori asked too casually for Pucca's liking.

Pucca shrugged noncommittally. "She seems much attached to her ex-husband."

"That's not what I asked."

Pucca turned and started gathering the vegetables on the counter. "We're going to have a salad, right?" Without waiting for an answer, Pucca started chopping a cucumber with an amazing speed and accuracy.

"I'm always amazed when you do that. You're like a pro," Lori commented, awed at her skill.

"Maybe I was in another life." _Or maybe a few months ago._

She did feel very comfortable in the kitchen and the knife she held felt like an extension of her hand."Say, why don't I spend more time in the kitchen? I should help here more."

"I can't possibly impose on you. You're a guest here," Lori said but she paused from her stirring to hand Pucca another cucumber, waiting for her to show off her skill again.

"But it might help me remember." _And forget about other things, even it's just for a few moments._

Lori pursed her lips. "If you're sure. Alright, why don't you make the salad dressing? Then help me with the rice. This casserole's just about done anyway."

"Sure." Pucca turned and went to the spice rack to get the necessary ingredients, feeling relieved and guilty that she had managed to distract the older woman from her questioning.

0o0o0o

Dinner was more painless than Pucca had expected though it did seem tenser than usual. Tara didn't come down for dinner, not that it surprised her. Juru flirted with her from time to time but Pucca, who was now more prepared, took it in stride. She also studiously avoided making eye contact with the ex-couple across her from the table and diverted most of her attention to Jian who responded to her with his usual charm and ready smile.

After dinner, just as she was rising from her chair, she heard Jian call her. "What is it?" she asked.

"Mind if you go outside with me?" He held out an arm. Pucca shook her head and took it. "If you'll excuse us." Jian said to the rest of the group.

"So someone else had caught your eye?" Juru looked at Pucca up and down. "I wouldn't blame you."

Jian ignored him but Tobe glared at Juru. "Shut the hell up."

Pucca wondered at the exchange and decided to ask Jian about it later.

Tobe turned to look at her but said nothing. Pucca looked away, confounded at the intensity in his gaze. "Come on, Jian."

It was dark outside so they continued walking until they reached a bench a few distance from the pool. Jian gestured for her to sit before joining her. The light attached to the pool's walls cast a bluish glow on its surroundings.

Pucca turned to Jian. "What was that about?"

"Ignore Juru. He seems to think everyone's as perverted as him."

"But Jian—"

"Pucca, it's nothing really." Jian turned away.

"Just tell me," Pucca insisted, really curious now.

Jian shook his head. "I just brought you out here because I wanted you to stay out of Juru's way. I never trusted him."

Pucca knew he was changing the subject but she'd let that go. For now. "I already know that. But he's just flirting with me. I can handle him."

"And... I also wanted to ask what's between you and Tobe." Jian gave her a look, a look that meant he needed straight answers.

"Nothing." Pucca closed her eyes, unable to hold his gaze.

"Pucca…" he started warningly.

"No, I mean it. We- we're not together or anything. It's just… complicated." She opened her eyes but saw nothing else but Tobe's image in her mind. "One moment we're…" she paused, thinking of an appropriate description. "Connecting, for the lack of a better word, then the next he doesn't want anything to do with me or I to him. And a few days ago, we crossed a line. Now…" she trailed off, her voice failing her.

"Now rather than deal with it like adults, you've been avoiding each other. It's kind of amazing how you two managed to do that for days straight when you live in the same house."

"Yeah…"

Jian was silent. "It hurts doesn't it? Being with someone you can't have. Having feelings you know you shouldn't have."

Pucca choked out again, "Yeah."

She hadn't admitted it to anyone until now but seeing the pained understanding in his eyes made her feel oddly relieved. Pucca leaned her head on his shoulder and a companionable silence settled over them.

"So who is it?" Pucca asked after a while. When he didn't answer, Pucca pulled away then swatted him on the arm. "Hey, I told you about my feelings. You should do the same."

"You didn't tell me. _I_ told you and you agreed." He was as calm and unyielding as she pushy and determined.

Pucca waved a hand dismissively. "Nevertheless, tell me."

"You're as persistent as a plague," Jian said.

"Yes and you're changing the subject again."

"Look," Pucca blinked at the slight tremor in his voice. So, he was more disconcerted than he let on. "I don't know, okay. At one time, I was sure. Now… now I don't even know what I want."

"What's wrong?" Pucca covered his hand with her own.

Jian turned and looked away but he didn't reject her comforting touch. The light from the pool illuminated the smooth panes of his profile but shadowed his expression. "For the longest time, she always occupied my thoughts. It could be because I was just feeling like a... designated brother. But the thoughts seemed too persistent."

_Designated brother? He must mean Tara. He's got feelings for Tara? _"Oh?"

"I wanted to protect her for always. She was so young, you know. And even years after she's supposed to be older and wiser, she kept changing from being a child to a woman so quickly that I half the time I didn't even know how to react. Then… _you_ came."

"Huh?" Pucca gazed at him perplexedly. "What do I have to do with this?"

"I don't even know what _this _is." Pucca was slightly bemused at this vulnerable side of Jian. Then when he turned to face her, his gaze was honest and direct. "You're nothing like her yet I responded to you… on a very basic, instinctive level." He coughed uncomfortably. "It was easy to recognize my biological reaction towards you and it wasn't what I felt for her."

"Again, _huh_?" Pucca was getting lost and lost in their conversation but Jian was on a roll and wouldn't stop to explain his meaning.

"I thought I understood. I was relieved that there wasn't anything wrong with me. I started to believe that I can really just be like a brother to her.

"But something changed. She became more of a woman in my eyes. I started noticing little things about her. Odd things like how her eyes sparkle when she laughs, or her cheeks blush when she's upset. I felt things that I couldn't explain. And then… you again!" He stared at her almost accusingly.

"_What_?" Pucca threw up her hands.

"When you got in trouble, I kept worrying and thinking about you often. Maybe too often. I started noticing little things about you too. But it's different with her somehow. I don't know why! I don't know what I feel about her! Or about you! It's confusing me. I swear I'm going to explode just thinking about what _this _is!" He rubbed a weary hand over his face.

Jian looked so desperate and confused that she ached for him. She wrapped her hands around his waist and gave him a warm embrace. He stiffened at first before sighing and returning her hug.

"Jian… calm down." It was weird that they had switched places. She felt composed and it was Jian who had that wild look in his eyes. "It'll be alright."

In a delayed reaction, Pucca was surprised to realize that they were alone in the dark and in each other's embrace. It was weird that it _didn't_ feel weird holding on to him like this. It wasn't awkward or tense. It felt intimate but not lover-like.

"Pucca," His voice was muffled because he had burrowed it in her hair.

"What?"

"Please don't slap me. Or worse, beat me up like you did Tobe's ninjas." Though he sounded nervous, his voice held a trace of his previous composure and humor.

"Now, why would I do that?" Pucca raised her head to look at him. The light behind him shadowed his expression and made his eyes impossibly dark.

"You're really dense. You should fix that." Then he cupped her jaw and gently kissed her on the lips.

0o0o0o

**Author's Note: This kinda reminds me of a reverse harem story.**


	11. Chapter 11

**0o0o0o**

**Chapter 11**

_Jian's kissing me! How is this happening?_

Pucca's eyes widened in surprise but she didn't push him away. She knew Jian wouldn't do anything more. And neither would she. So she closed her eyes and settled in to the feeling of Jian's lips on hers.

She felt like this was some kind of test. Not just for him but for her too. It was for them to realize their respective emotions and to see if they could be more.

The kiss itself felt nice and chaste. Nothing more than their lips brushing, his thumbs caressing her cheeks and her head tilting to reach up to him. It would've been easy to pretend that Jian was the one for her. But… her heart ached because it was missing something essential. _He's not who I want,_ she thought.

Jian broke the kiss and smiled down at her. She couldn't help but smile in return. He looked like his usual self again.

"Feels nice. But let's agree to not do that again," he concluded and Pucca burst out laughing.

"It felt like kissing a friend."

"Because we _are_ friends." Jian sounded relieved to voice it out.

"Or…" Pucca shot him a meaningful glance. "I'm the one you think of as a sister. Not Tara. You had it the other way around."

"Yes, I understand now. Thank you." This time when Jian lowered his head to kiss her, it was on her cheek. "I owe you, Pucca."

"Yeah, you do," she smirked. "You used me as a reference point to figure out what you felt for her.

"Yeah," he agreed sheepishly, "but I don't believe I told you it was her."

"I guessed and you agreed." Her lips curled in a self-satisfied grin. "Does Tobe know?" she asked and he shrugged.

"I don't know. But I think he knows I'm having trouble sorting out my relationship with her. And speaking of Tobe, come on. He must be tearing his hair out wondering what evil I'm doing to you." Jian stood up and helped her up.

"Yeah right. I'm sure he's too busy with Jing-Jing to remember me." She had meant to make it sound like a joke but her loneliness had crept into her voice.

Jian's face softened in empathy. "I'm sure you're wrong. During dinner you were the one ignoring him and he was the one who kept glancing your way."

"Did he really?" Jian gazed tenderly at the girl in front of him. His heart ached in sympathy at the fear and hope swirling in the depths of her eyes, almost as resplendent as the moon itself.

"Really," he said with a tender smile, "It looked like he hardly paid any attention to Jing-Jing at all."

Pucca walked silently beside him. She was afraid to believe him. He could just be saying that to spare her feelings.

When they reached the house, Jian pushed open the back door leading to the kitchen. They heard a thud and a squeak. Wonderingly, they peered inside to see Tara sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Jian asked then he looked apologetic. "Sorry, did I hit you? Let me see." He knelt beside her then tilted her face up to meet his.

Tara squeaked again then scrambled to her feet. "I'm fine. You- you don't need to be worried or anything."

Jian's brows furrowed as he straightened. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I was just being clumsy as usual! I have two left feet, you know that. No wonder you still see me as- as a kid." Tara laughed nervously. "I was just here then I tripped but now I'm gonna go." Her voice was overly bright and so was her smile.

"Tara?" Pucca beseeched. Tara looked pained as she cast her a glance before running out of the kitchen.

"I've got this." Jian said halfway out the door leaving Pucca wondering what the heck was going on.

Pucca wandered aimlessly around the house wondering what happened with Tara. Did she see them together? She hoped Jian could sort out if there was any misunderstanding. In any case, Pucca concluded that she had to talk to Tara.

She was still meandering through the hallways, lost in her thoughts when she bumped into Juru. She tried to sidle pass him but he kept blocking her way.

"Get out of my way before I kick you and send you all the way down the hall."

"That's rude. I just wanted to say hi," he greeted.

"Yeah, hi to you too," she replied aloofly. "It's not like we didn't see each other during dinner."

"Touchy…" He looked amused but he sidestepped to let her pass. Pucca raised her chin haughtily as she went by him. "Are you looking for Tobe?" he asked suddenly.

Pucca stopped in her tracks but didn't face him as she replied, "What I do is none of your business."

Juru snorted. "I thought you said we could be friends."

"We could. If you actually _want_ to be friends."

"Touche."

Pucca started walking again but halted when he called her name.

"I was looking for my sister so I asked you about Tobe. You know how they're always together."

Pucca turned around to look at him but he was already walking away. He raised a hand in parting.

_Ignore him. I wasn't even looking for Tobe in the first place._

She stomped off, angry at herself for being so affected by something she already knew. But after a few feet, she found herself in front of his door. "What am I doing here?" she grumbled to herself. She forced herself to move but her feet seemed stuck to the carpeted floor.

She suddenly heard a muffled voice through the door saying, "Chief, I'm not sure I agree with you on this."

Pucca froze when she realized Jing-Jing was in there with Tobe.

"Oh, come on. The reason I took a break from modeling was because _you_ wanted me to investigate. I had to do a lot of digging, a lot of… unapproved borrowing and some , um, forceful persuasion." Pucca mused suspiciously at the woman's evasive tone. "Quite selfish of you to ask, really. As I recall, you're the one who wanted me to turn over a new leaf. Then out of the blue you employ me because of the expert skills you disapproved of in the first place."

"Yeah, yeah. So you say. You didn't even hesitate when I asked you."

"Riiight… You knew I couldn't say no when you asked me so _nicely,_" Jing-jing voiced sarcastically.

Tobe grumbled something, Pucca couldn't catch.

Pucca was shocked yet curious about their secret agendas. She looked left and right to make sure no one else could see her before she pressed her ear to the door, not wanting to miss a single word.

"You trusted me on this so this is what I have for you. Despite what you believe, the Silent Ninja Clan isn't what it used to be. They're more concerned about power than any other virtue they once claimed to live by."

_Silent Ninja Clan. He had Jing-jing investigate about the ones who drugged her? But it couldn't be for that reason since it only happened recently. _Pucca wondered then it hit her. _Could it be about_ _Tara?_

"Hadn't they put so much stock in their honor and integrity?" He sounded doubtful.

"They're decreasing in number so they want power in order for them to dominate the other clans. But I do believe that it's just the higher ranks that are pulling these underhanded tactics.

"They're using their vast medical knowledge to make new biochemical weapons. Using every means necessary to attain their goal which includes espionage and sabotaging others they view as a threat."

"And they view me as a threat?" he sounded incredulous.

"Is it really that hard to believe? You have considerable influence over several regions in the country and you also have several ninjas loyal to you and would do anything you ask them. And," she paused meaning fully "there's also _that."_

Pucca didn't know what they were talking about so she waited for Tobe to reply but there was only silence at the other side of the door.

Jing-Jing hissed irately. "I don't think you've forgotten how you had that scar. Even back then, not all of them are quite as honor-bound as they claim to be."

Pucca speculated impatiently at Jing-Jing's loaded statement.

"I don't want to talk about this." Pucca heard heavy footfalls grow fainter and fainter. She could only imagine Tobe walking away from Jing-Jing.

"We have to. You've always carried a grudge towards them. And they know it. Now, Pucca's here. It's all connected!"

"I told you. I _don't_ want to talk about this."

Pucca's heart pounded when she heard Jing-Jing say her name after spouting words like espionage and sabotage. Did they really think she was sent here to destroy Tobe? She waited desperately for them to break the heavy silence that hung in the air.

"Wait a minute. This isn't about who's trying to sabotage your company anymore. Or who had tried to harm your sister." Jing-Jing sounded amazed. "This is about Pucca."

"I'll advise you to stop talking," Tobe replied darkly. Pucca could well imagine his anger and she shivered slightly.

"No! This is about _you_ not wanting _Pucca_ to be connected with the Silent Ninja Clan. You refuse to believe what's in front of your eyes because you don't want her to have anything to do with Garu! This is about you three all over again!"

_Again?_ Her heart skipped at the word.

"Shut up before I rip your big mouth off!" Tobe growled savagely.

Pucca heard Jing-Jing cry out in frustration. "Fine! But the next time you ask my help, be more honest about your motives!"

Pucca heard feet shuffling. Panicking, she jumped away from the door and pressed herself to the wall beside it. The door flew open, obscuring Pucca from plain view. Jing-Jing marched huffily, muttering a string of profanities under her breath.

"Damn woman," Tobe cursed before slamming the door shut again.

As soon as she felt safe to move, she dashed away, not stopping until she reached the safety of her room. As soon she had the door firmly shut behind her, she sank to the floor.

What did she just hear?

Clans, espionage, sabotage, biochemical weapons. She was right to feel apprehensive about her knowledge underneath the thick veil of her amnesia. This was something bigger than her and she landed smack dab in the middle of it.

And Garu… Who was that guy? Why did his name seem so familiar?

A memory appeared in her mind.

"_What do you remember?" He asked suspiciously._

_She struggled with herself whether or not she should tell him. But in the end, she knew that she had no choice. "Nothing." The word echoed inside her. There was nothing. She was nothing but an empty shell._

"_You're lying. Garu put you up to this, didn't he?" He snarled._

"_I don't know who I am, okay!? Let alone someone named Garu! _"

Of course. Tobe asked her about him the first time she met him. But could it be anything else? Jing-Jing implied that there must be something more. That they had some kind of history. But that was impossible, right? She didn't know about Garu but she knew she had never met Tobe before.

_Are you really sure about that?_ an unwelcome voice resonated in her mind.

"Yes, I trust Tobe. He wouldn't lie about that," she whispered to herself. For some reason, her statement lacked conviction. She curled into a ball and placed her head between her knees.

_He has a grudge against the Silent Ninja Clan. Against Garu. From the first moment, he suspected that you're in league with him. Why wouldn't he develop a grudge against you? It makes sense, doesn't it? You've always been wondering why he hates you._

This couldn't be it. Tobe. He wouldn't. This is too much.

_You came here to crush him. He hates you. He's lying to you. He wants to keep you as his prisoner. He's taking his revenge on Garu through you._

"No, no, no!" She rocked back and forth, willing the doubts in her head to disappear.

Garu. It all went back to Garu.

"Garu," she whispered hoarsely "Who _are_ you?"

0o0o0o

**Author's Note: Surprise, surprise! Of course, I'd put Garu here:) ****He's got a huge part in Pucca's past. ****So what do you think? Like it, hate it or just **_**blah**_**?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Hey, it's been too long since I last posted anything here. To my reviewers and to those who're still following this story, thank you. Truly. **

**Anyway, to clear up any confusion, Pucca and the others are in their twenties. Since Jian's a doctor, he's at least in his late twenties. He and Tobe are more or less the same age. The youngest is Tara with Pucca somewhere in between.**

**Warning for the squeamish: To be blunt, there's a sex scene. Watch out for this face. **ღ(｡◕‿‿◕｡)ღ ** He's going to be your guide.**

0o0o0o

**Chapter 12**

_Garu… Tobe… Garu… Tobe…_

Her sleep had been troubled by dreams that night. Pucca tossed and turned, sheen of sweat forming on her skin.

_The sound of gunshots filled the air. Someone's muffled cries reverberated in her ears. She realized belatedly that it was hers._

"_Where are you?!" Pucca asked desperately over and over. Everything was dark and blurred. She couldn't see. Her ribs were hurting. It couldn't be too late. It was hard to move but still she searched through the maze and darkness. Finally, a familiar figure was within her reach. She found her, she thought, feeling her tired bones melt in relief._

_Then the girl's words filled her with dread, "You can't help me." _

_Tears stung her eyes. "Don't say that. I told you I'd come for you." She wasn't going to lose hope even if this girl did._

"_No," the girl told her firmly but there was a hint of pity in her soft voice. "You know what you have to do. I'll be holding you back."_

"_No you won't!" There was a sound of screeching metal and a loud crash. They were coming. She needed more time, time she didn't have._

"_Let me go," the girl whispered sadly. "Please."_

"_I can't. I can't!" Pucca refused to believe it was too late for her._

_The girl took her hand. It felt cold. She looked pleadingly at Pucca and whispered urgently, "Run."_

_There had to be another way. But she knew there wasn't._

_It took every ounce of her willpower to turn away and say, "I'm sorry." She ran and ran. Away from the place where her nightmares turned to reality. Tears blurred her vision. _

_There was a loud explosion and she looked back in shock. Flames. Flames were everywhere. Tongues of fire and charred ruins remained where the building was supposed to stand._

"_No." It couldn't be, she thought. "NO!" She cried as she tried to run back but the force of another explosion knocked her backwards. Debris tore through the air and cut through her skin._

_Her world was discombobulated as she tried to crawl her way back. She was too close to the second explosion that her ears were ringing and she couldn't hear the broken cries coming out of her mouth._

_Now, there was nothing left but flames. She fell back on her knees weakly, disbelief and hopelessness overwhelming her._

"_No! No!_" Pucca thrashed in bed, screaming over and over again. The agony was too much. She wanted to forget. She wanted the bliss ignorance could give her. "AAAH!"

"Pucca, stop!" She didn't know how long she was caught in her blind panic but someone was trying to penetrate her uncontrollable grief. She felt steely arms wrapping her securely and thwarting her attempts to attack herself and everything around her. "Stop it! You're just hurting yourself." She tiredly stopped struggling but couldn't open her eyes as she continued to sob. She felt herself being rocked back and forth soothingly.

_I'm sorry_, she mumbled unintelligibly in her sleep. The words repeated in her mind like a mantra. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

She felt the guilt and shame weighing down on her. She had forgotten everything because… because she was a coward who wanted to forget. Now she had gotten her wish.

"It's going to be alright," he assured her, trying to slowly bring her out of her deep trance.

_Tobe. _She knew it was him. Hoped it was him. She opened her unseeing eyes, staring straight through him. There was a wild look in them. "Tobe… Everything's on fire. An explosion. I need to go back!" she told him brokenly over her sobs, "I- I told her I'd come for her."

He pressed her cheek to his chest. "Ssh… don't think about it for now." His steady heartbeat lulled her.

"I'm scared," she sounded like a lost, bewildered child.

"It's over. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He peppered her face with butterfly kisses, providing her with relief like a soothing balm to burning skin.

Her eyelids fluttered. The thick fog had lifted and reality was slowly dawning on her.

She had slept in her own room so why was Tobe here with her? They'd been avoiding each other for days. Did he hear her screams and rushed to her aid, then? But as she saw him gazing intensely at her distraught face, she decided none of that mattered. Jing-Jing, Garu, ninja clans, none of them mattered as much as having him here with her now.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes again. Tobe leaned his head and captured her quivering lips. More tears sprung from her eyes even as she squeezed it shut. She responded to him ardently, drawing comfort from his lips and loving the strength and security he provided in his embrace.

His lips on hers always had the effect of blanking her mind from everything else. Suddenly, it was important that they never stop what they were doing lest the horrifying images appear again. She angled her head to deepen the kiss.

He reluctantly broke the kiss and told her huskily, "We should stop. You need to rest."

"Tobe, please," she pleaded, though she didn't know what for.

"I can't. Not when you're like this." Tobe looked as torn as a starving man in a banquet he couldn't have. "You don't know what you're asking."

She clutched at his shirt desperately holding on to him longer. Her eyes were swimming in tears. "Then just stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

"I told you I'm not going anywhere." Her mind registered the determination carved into every masculine feature, from his straight dark brows to the tough jut of his chin and jaw. He stretched out on her bed and gently pulled her to him. He let her rest her head on his chest. She continued to sob until she had exhausted herself to sleep.

0o0o0o

The sunlight filtering through her eyelids woke her up. Her eyes felt gritty from crying. She blinked them open and saw herself nestled in the crook of his neck.

She looked at the man sleeping beside her and she felt her overwhelming gratitude for him. Unable to control the impulse to feel him on her lips, she bent forward and laid a soft kiss on his mouth. She leaned back in time to see his eyes flicker open. "Good morning," she whispered to him.

"Good morning," he replied. He sat up and leaned his back on the headboard. "I could get used to waking up like that."

Pucca sat up too. She felt emotionally raw right now and she felt it was essential that he was with her. Because of everything that had happened, or maybe despite of it, she felt he was the only refuge she could cling to. She drew herself closer to him, laying her head back on his shoulder. He shifted his arm behind her and caught her waist.

Tobe burrowed his face in her hair. "It feels like it had been forever since I woke up with you beside me. I prefer it this way."

"You never stayed long though. I always wake up alone."

"I didn't think you'd want me to stay. You've also been avoiding me for days," he admonished lightly.

"You were avoiding me too," Pucca countered. She raised her head from his shoulder and looked directly at him.

He shrugged. "I thought it would be better to give each other some space." The past few days took their toll on them and it felt relieving that they could talk about it now.

_How about last night, _a voice in her head started doubtfully, _weren't he and Jing-Jing—_

No, Tobe was there for her when she needed him. She wasn't going to doubt that Tobe would be on her side. Didn't he reject Jing-Jing's suggestion about her supposed association with the Silent Ninja Clan?

_And what about your supposed history together?_

Maybe she got it wrong. After all, all Jing-Jing said that it was about three people including Tobe. Maybe she didn't mean that Pucca was included there too.

_You're grasping at straws and you know it._

No, she told herself, she just needed to look at every angle instead of jumping again and again to the worst conclusions.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that._

Pucca inhaled his clean, musky scent, taking it into memory. "I missed you," she couldn't help but say. Her defenses were now completely down and words she had never allowed herself to think about but had always felt were spouting from her mouth.

He directed her his rapier gaze, his eyes emanating a forceful magnetism that sent her heart racing and pumping liquid heat through her body. "I missed you too," he replied huskily.

"I'm glad." Pucca turned her head and kissed him on his lean cheek. There was an amused glint in his eyes. She found that kissing Tobe was fast getting addictive. "And about last night, thank you. I don't know how I could've coped without you."

He was silent for a minute before he said slowly, "You were rambling about a fire and an explosion. You were also frantic about needing to go back. What do you remember?"

_Everything was burning. Her body was aching and her chest was heaving with her sobs. 'Let me go,' the girl said, 'Run'. _Pucca closed her eyes as if to ward off the images. "I can't. Not now."

_What happened to the girl? Did she survive? What did the girl mean when she said she'd be holding me back? What was I supposed to do?_

He nodded and didn't pursue the subject. "Then I'll let you catch your breath first."

"Thank you." She gazed at his handsome yet scarred visage and felt a tug in her heart. She was in too deep with this guy. She was on the brink of falling into a situation where she'd lose all handle on feelings she barely grasped. She admired his strength, determination and his hidden compassion. She was captivated by the different facets of his magnetic personality. She was lured by the passion he aroused within her. In her early weeks with him, she was guilty that she felt more than hatred for him. But now, it was hard to remember her exact reasons why that should be.

But it couldn't be about love, right? She'd admit that she was emotionally attached to him but wasn't love rooted on trust and friendship? They had hated each other from the beginning, always suspecting the worst of each other. At least before their last fight, they had begun to develop a tentative type of friendship.

_Am I really considering that I might be in love with Tobe? Since when? Wait— no. I can't be in love with him. I just can't. _The answer buried in her heart scared her.

So what then did she feel for Tobe? Love couldn't be these sudden burst of temper and passion. Going from tearing the other's face off to tearing each other's clothes off.

"Oh," she gasped audibly when the image planted itself in her mind. Tobe raised a brow at her questioningly and a blush heated her cheeks, "I, um, I just remembered that I had to apologize for throwing myself at you like that. I didn't mean to offend you." She quickly said to cover up her embarrassment.

"Are you really worried about offending me?" Tobe snorted a laugh and Pucca frowned at him. "Me, the horrible, vindictive, overbearing asshole you once described?"

"You're not _always_ a horrible, vindictive, overbearing asshole," Pucca retorted and Tobe snickered, "But I said that a long time ago. I hated your guts then."

Tobe looked at her levelly. "I know you did. And you pissed me off because I didn't know how to deal with you barging into my life. I couldn't trust you then." _There's that trust issue again,_ Pucca thought.

Pucca was afraid to ask the question burning at the back of her mind. _How about now? _"But you know I don't hate you anymore." Instead she asked, "We're friends now, aren't we?"

He cast her a disbelieving look. "No," he bit back sardonically.

"Oh." Her heart sank at the hard edge in his voice. "I guess it's just me."

He made a face as if he couldn't believe she just said that. He shook his head as if he could shake off her words. "I've been meaning to tell you something these past few days. On our last fight, you said some things that made me take a look at what I was doing to you. They got me thinking. I realized you were right. I kept waiting for a chance to pin the blame on you. I never gave you the benefit of the doubt. And for that, I apologize." Pucca held her breath at the sight of his eyes softened by his remorse. "I'm not going to keep looking at you and treating you as a potential serial killer you accused me of doing. We may not know who you were in the past, but I know who you are now. You're a gorgeous, kindhearted, obstinate and fiery hellcat. And we may not know about your reasons for being here. But I'm glad you are."

She had a hard time believing her eyes. She had never seen this side of Tobe, seemingly supplicant and a far cry from the arrogant, lordly creature she was used to.

_Why now? Do you really trust anything that comes from his mouth after his talk with Jing-Jing about sabotage and espionage? _Yes. She trusted him. Pucca pushed her doubts away. She knew her faith in this man goes beyond any logical reasoning but some gut instinct was telling her that he wouldn't let any harm come to her.

"And last night," he continued. Pucca remained transfixed at the way his eyes bore into her. "The last thing I felt was offended. I wanted you for a long time, Pucca. Nothing has changed." His voice, husky with desire, sent fire burning low in her stomach. "With chemistry as volatile as ours, there's no way we'd be as platonic as friends." So that's what he meant. She felt relieved at the thought.

His hot gaze had dropped to her mouth and she unconsciously licked her lips. His hand on her waist started a slow descent to her hips then his other hand settled on her bare thigh. She was suddenly aware of how insubstantial her sleepwear was compared to him. While he was wearing a white cotton shirt and loose-fitting pants, she was just wearing a black shirt that fell mid-thigh.

"Oh, but…" There was a breathless quality in her voice that she couldn't hide when she said, "We've been together every night for weeks. Months even. You never did anything."

"How could I?" He grimaced. "When emotions run high, I often say things I regret later. I was pissed at you for suddenly appearing in my life, and at myself for still wanting you to—" He stopped himself short and sighed. "Like when I told you I'd force you to have sex with me as punishment. _That_ was a smooth move right there" he told her wryly.

Despite herself, she chuckled. "So that's why you never followed through. I've always wondered." It was oddly relieving to hear him say those things to her.

"I didn't want to have sex with you for the wrong reasons. But I'm also tired of listening to myself think of all the reasons why I shouldn't have you for myself." Her breath hitched when his hand moved over her belly then stroked upwards until he was caressing the underside of her breasts.

She closed her eyes in anticipation. "Would it be enough reason if I said, I've wanted you for a long time too?" Her voice sounded low and seductive to her ears.

Without warning, strong hands gripped her sides, lifting her so that she straddled his lap. "More than enough." Then he gripped her nape to bring her mouth crashing down to his. He was being aggressive, but Pucca enjoyed it. His tongue slipped into her mouth. She moaned and opened her mouth fully for his kiss.

:

ღ(｡◕‿‿◕｡)ღ "Excuse me… I'm here to warn you about the lemons ahead. If you don't feel comfortable about it, keep scrolling down until I tell you to stop. "

:

Flames of desire engulfed them. His ferocity and passion had her trembling in ecstasy. He pulled back enough to look at her parted lips and her hazy, lust-filled eyes. A satisfied smirk curled his lips and he took off his shirt. She shifted closer, wanting to feel her breasts push against his stone-chiseled torso. She felt both longing and frustration when the thin barrier of her cotton shirt chafed her erect nipples.

She pulled away to take off her shirt but his hands restrained her. She moaned in protest, unable to form a coherent sentence. His hands snaked between them and cupped her aching breasts. His thumbs played with her hardened peaks, deliberately grazing them against her shirt. "Tobe! Aah!" Pucca panted as she arched her body towards him.

Tobe groaned when she accidentally rubbed against his erection. Pucca found it exhilarating that she had the feminine power capable of dominating an alpha male like Tobe. She rocked her hips but she realized that it had the same drugging effect on her. She bit her lip at the gathering wetness at her aching core. "_Tobe,_" she moaned, undulating faster.

His hands grasped her hips and stilled her. "Take it easy," he gasped, "or I won't be able to hold back." It was a hoarse plea from a man being pushed to the limits of his endurance.

Intrigued by his words, she experimentally reached down and stroked the bulge straining from the fabric of his pajamas. It felt hot and hard on her palm. It jerked under her touch.

"Fuck!" she heard Tobe growl.

The air in her lungs rushed out between her lips in a huff when he suddenly threw her off him then pinned her back against the downy mattress. She watched him incredulously as he roughly pulled off her shirt and ripped off her soaked underwear. A current of excitement rushed through her. "You bought those for me," she heard herself say in amazement.

Tobe hovered over her, looking as fierce and hungry as a predator with his prey. "My mistake." His voice was thick with want. "You won't need them. Not when I'm here. God, Pucca. You have no idea how beautiful you are right now." Her flushed body lay bare before his burning gaze.

His words shouldn't have aroused her so much but it did. The heat in them sent an answering fire spiraling down the pit of her stomach. His fingers stroked her nether curls. She longed to scream at him to ease the ache building up in her wet core. "You're not serious." But her protests sank with her moans when he slipped a finger into her sex. She clutched at his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin.

"Did you say something, hellcat?" Tobe asked wickedly. Pucca just mewled. She could do nothing else but buck her hips against his hand. He leaned down and attacked the sensitive area of her neck, licking and biting on the soft skin. He kissed his way down to her collar bone then up the swell of her breasts but paused when his lips were tantalizingly close to her pebbled nipples.

"Tobe," she pleaded.

"What do you want?" Oh, he always did enjoy seeing her squirm.

"Please," Pucca arched her lithe body. A tip brushed his lips. Her breathing was erratic. She could barely get the words out. She was completely aware that his finger was still plunging deep inside her. A fiendish smile spread on his scarred face. He captured a nipple with his lips and caught it with his teeth. "Tobe, please." There was desperation at the edges of her throaty whisper. Finally complying, he suckled her hungrily. Every nerve ending ignited with electrifying heat. "Oh,_ yes_!" Ardent craving coursed through her.

He laved at her other stiff nipple before he moved on to leave a slick trail down her stomach. He licked her navel then blew on it. Fire and ice spread across her body, leaving Goosebumps on her flushed skin. Pucca closed her eyes in ecstasy. Then her eyes widened and she gasped in surprise and pleasure when she felt his tongue lashing on the nub of her desire. She clutched at his hair, torn whether to pull him away or press his skilled mouth closer to her burning sex.

"Tobe. no," she murmured in embarrassment. Tobe ignored her then she stifled another gasp when he plunged a second finger within her. She tossed her head side to side and fisted his hair tightly in her hands, suppressing a scream she knew was coming. Tobe sucked on the bundle of nerves. "Tobe!" Her heels dug on the mattress.

"That's right, scream for me." Tobe pumped his fingers faster. Pucca squeezed her eyes shut as the sensations built up inside her, taking her higher and higher. She couldn't take it anymore. With a long, hard suck on her clit, she fell apart. She screamed in pleasure as she came. Her inner muscles gripped his fingers tightly but he continued moving until she had calmed down. "Oh, yeah," Tobe groaned, "My turn."

He sat up intending to take off his pants. A wave of tenderness went through her when she saw his trembling hands struggle at a button. She reached up to help him. She laid her open palms flat on his chest then caressed him downwards, lingering on his flat stomach before popping his button open. She watched him pull away to impatiently push down his pants and boxers. She took the time to gaze appreciatively at every ripple of his muscles. Her mouth dried when her gaze slid lower to his impressive, hard member. Even though she was still reeling from her first orgasm, her hunger for him was still far from satiated.

Finally free of all barriers, Tobe lowered his mouth to kiss her ardently. "Make love to me, Tobe." She widened her legs invitingly and he positioned himself between them. She saw him swallow hard when the tip of his erection nudged against her moist entrance. A long groan escaped him when he slowly slid his throbbing sex inside her, filling her completely. He thrust into her again and again, grasping her hips as she adjusted to his torturously slow rhythm. She wantonly pushed back into him, lustfully moaning at the sweet friction.

Pucca reached up to grip his mass of dark hair. Her other hand stroked down his back then cupped his muscular rear. She pulled him in deeper, causing a deep groan to rumble from Tobe. She rocked her hips, urging him to go faster.

"_More,"_ she said greedily, "I want more of you."

Tobe looked at her hungrily, his breath coming in short rasps, "Then I'll give you more."

He rammed deep into her and she cried in pleasure. It was fast and feverish. He pumped his hips violently but she met him with equal fervor. The sound of their lovemaking filled the room. Her moans had turned into high-pitched gasps and her nails scraped on his broad back.

"_Fuck! _You feel so fucking good," Tobe grunted. Pucca seized his mouth in a kiss that mirrored a more intimate, erotic joining.

Insatiable need coiled tighter and tighter in her lower belly. They clung to each other, riding the current of ecstasy that sent a surge of exploding sensations within them. She screamed his name as she climaxed.

Her spasms clenched tightly around his throbbing member. "I can't take it much longer," he panted feverishly. He plunged deep and hard inside her. Once. Twice. And he too was sent over the edge.

:

ღ(｡◕‿‿◕｡)ღ "Aaand done!"

:

He kissed her slick forehead before rolling to his side. Tobe pulled her close. They didn't move for a long while as they basked in the glow of their lovemaking.

"You alright?" he asked her, his eyes heavy-lidded. His breath felt slick and warm on her neck.

Pucca nodded as she tried to ease her breathing. She closed her eyes and hid her face as she buried it on Tobe's shoulder. She finally had a name to the persistent ache in her chest, and she quickly compressed her lips to disguise their betraying quiver.

Her feelings may very well kill her in the end.

0o0o0o


End file.
